Giant 'HELP' sign emerges on drought-stricken Swiss lakebed

Signs reading 'HELP' and 'SOS' have appeared on the dried lakebed of Lake Brenets in Switzerland. The appeal from an unknown author reflects growing alarm in a region where four months of exceptionally low rainfall has left the popular tourist destination almost completely without water. The drought has already surpassed the extreme dry spell of 2018, previously considered a once-in-a-century event, and is likely to surpass record 1906 levels if forecast rainfall fails to materialise. The drying of the lake, which scientists and residents increasingly link to recurring heat and rainfall shortages associated with climate change, has dealt a heavy blow to the local economy.