Glaciers in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino have retreated sharply for the second year in a row.

If glacier melting progresses at the same rate, the glaciers on the southern side of the Alps could have largely disappeared in five to ten years.

The great heat in Ticino in the second half of August as well as the warm September and October led to a strong retreat of glaciers between the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, the Ticino Office for Natural Hazards, Fire and Planning announced on Monday. …