Police in southwest Switzerland warned Wednesday that a heat wave has increased the risk of falling rock and ice in the Alpine region, where it’s been particularly deadly this year for mountaineers and hikers. Most of the victims have been foreigners.
Valais regional police say a spike in temperatures and a record high altitude of nearly 5,300 meters (about 17,300 feet) for a bellwether zero-degree Celsius reading over Switzerland has accelerated erosion in the Alps.
