A deadly rockslide and floods triggered by severe weather struck a Swiss Alpine village, resulting in one fatality and two missing persons, with ongoing search efforts hampered by heavy rainfall.

Rockfall buries access road but stops just in front of hamlet, which had been evacuated in anticipation.

The word for it here is Schneemangel or snow shortage. There's a phrase for when the snow is plentiful too - das weisse Gold - white gold. It's a reflection of how many alpine communities depend on winter sports for their livelihoods. World Cup skiers will race on artificial snow this Saturday as the Alps see record high temperatures.