There are people in Switzerland who don’t rely on satellites to tell them what the weather will be like. They are the Wetterschmöcker, the six Muotathal weather prophets who make their predictions by observing nature. Silvan Betschart is the youngest of them. On one side, Lake Lucerne, in the background Mount Pilatus with its characteristic shape. In the distance, almost invisible to the eye, Lake Ägeri. We are at an altitude of around 1,300 metres and the beauty of the landscape is breath-taking. Around us, the crown of mountains is partially hidden by slowly moving white clouds. "There's turmoil in the sky. Perhaps tomorrow we'll be surprised by an evening thunderstorm," reckons Silvan Betschart, surveying the horizon. We are in canton Schwyz, central Switzerland, home of the prophets of the weather, iconic figures of Swiss rural tradition, custodians of knowledge handed down orally for centuries. Betschart has recently joined the ranks of the Muotathal Wetterschmöcker. At 35, he ...
