Zurich thunderstorm leaves one critically injured, floods streets and triggers fireworks warehouse explosion
A violent thunderstorm swept across Zurich on Friday evening, dumping half a month's rain in two hours, felling trees that injured seven people, and later coinciding with a fireworks warehouse explosion in nearby Uitikon.
Severe thunderstorms moved over Zurich from Urdorf toward Winterthur around 18:00, lingering for roughly two hours. The storm brought extreme rainfall, tens of thousands of lightning strikes, and wind gusts strong enough to topple large trees. One 16-year-old girl was struck by a falling branch in District 8 and is in critical condition. Six others were hurt by falling trees at Mythenquai, two requiring hospitalisation.
A city under water and lightning
Rainfall totals were exceptional. Sihlbrugg recorded 57 litres per square metre, Küsnacht 52–54 litres, and Opfikon 47–53 litres. Normally the whole of June delivers about 110 litres. Meteorologist Roger Perret told Blick that “the Zurich region took a direct hit,” describing the city as being sideswiped by the storm. By the time the system passed, Zurich had registered 6,888 lightning strikes, the highest tally in Switzerland that evening, while the nationwide count exceeded 15,000.
The Zurich region took a direct hit.
- Sihlbrugg
- 57 litres/m²
- Küsnacht
- 53 litres/m²
- Opfikon
- 50 litres/m²
- Zurich-Leutschenbach
- 37 litres/m²
Rescue services stretched
Emergency control centres were overwhelmed. Schutz & Rettung Zürich recorded 730 fire service calls and 130 medical emergency calls between 17:30 and 21:00. Some 270 interventions were mounted inside the city, and 50 ambulance deployments were made. Across the canton of Zurich, 680 fire brigade operations were coordinated. A person had to be rescued from a building with rising water, and an underpass near Wollishofen station was submerged. The city police were unable to process all incoming calls immediately as they piled up.
Transport paralysed
Tram and bus services in central Zurich were severely disrupted after fallen trees and branches ripped down overhead wires. The Zürcher Verkehrsverbund contact centre downplayed the situation, stating that “it’s not that bad,” but trams were halted on several lines. At Zurich Airport, gusting winds temporarily stopped departures and forced some arriving flights to abort landings. Water also leaked through the glass roof of the main railway station.
It’s not that bad.
After the storm: a fire and explosions
Hours later, as the skies cleared, residents in Uitikon heard loud bangs and felt a pressure wave. A fireworks warehouse had caught fire. Kantonspolizei Zürich confirmed a deployment and said no injuries had yet been reported; the link to the earlier thunderstorm remains unclear. Social media posts described the sight of a large fireball and fireworks near the Uetliberg.
- Storm cell reaches Zurich city from Urdorf, heading towards Winterthur.
- Emergency services mount 270 interventions in the city; 50 ambulance call-outs.
- More than 15,000 lightning strikes recorded nationwide, 6,888 in Zurich alone.
- Tram traffic disrupted and airport departures halted due to wind and fallen trees.
- Explosion reported at a fireworks warehouse in Uitikon, no injuries confirmed.
