Bern: Switzerland experienced its hottest summer since measurements began, with the national average temperature reaching 17.2C (63F), the country's meteorological authority said Thursday. The average temperature between June and August was 0.4C (0.7F) higher than the previous record set in 2003.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology, known as MeteoSwiss, reported that this summer's temperatures were 3.4C (6.1F) above the average for the 1991-2020 reference period. Northwestern Switzerland was particularly affected, with temperatures averaging 4C (7.2F) above the reference period.

The Basel-Binningen monitoring station recorded a temperature of 39.7C (103.5F) on July 30, equaling the record for the highest temperature measured north of the Alps. The previous record was registered at Geneva-Cointrin on July 7, 2015. Thirty MeteoSwiss stations recorded new summer heat records, with nearly half set as early as June.

The number of hot days and tropical nights also rose sharply during the summer. Several monitoring stations recorded nearly two additional weeks of hot days compared with their previous records. Neuchatel and Glarus each registered 18 more such days. Switzerland recorded 50 tropical nights, when temperatures did not fall below 20C (68F), during the summer, eight more than in 2003, according to MeteoSwiss.