On my weekend visit to Switzerland I experienced a demonstration of nature’s power during a brief thunderstorm in Biel, located between Basel and Bern.

Friday was a warm, muggy day in Switzerland – one of a goodly number that Europe north of the Alps has experienced this summer. When a thunderstorm develops on a warm day in a country full of mountains, it’s not a bad idea to look for some cover! After a pleasant, sunny morning in Biel, the sky began to cloud over, and I mentioned to Isabelle Adcock-Wahlen that a storm seemed to be brewing. Isabelle had accompanied me to the bank in an attempt to get a Swiss bank account set up for our activities in Switzerland.

About 4 p.m. the sky opened up, but most of what came down wasn’t rain. Instead, it was hail – and lots of it! Hail the size of large grapes pelted the ground for about 15 minutes, ripping off lots of leaves from the nearby trees. Within minutes a lawn nearby had more of a winter look than mid-summer. As I watched some motorists looking for cover to avoid roof damage to their vehicles, I was thankful that my means of transportation for the weekend was the train instead of having driven my car to Switzerland. Just as quickly as the storm came on, it was over, but not before it dropped the temperature by about 20 degrees (Fahrenheit). A marvelous display of nature’s power!