Swiss glaciers lose 5.5% of ice in eight months, near 2022 record

Swiss glaciers shrank 5.5% in the first eight months of 2026, just below the 2022 record loss, according to the annual monitoring report. Mean thickness fell 2.5 to 4 metres. The report was led by ETH Zürich glaciologist Matthias Huss. Repeated heavy losses risk resetting the baseline for water and hazard planning.