More than 50,000 m3 of ice have tumbled off the front of the Feegletscher close to Saas Fee. Blocks of ice started to fall last Tuesday evening. A team of specialists say that 100,000 m3 more ice may fall during this sequence.

The ice falls are some way from the town, which currently has 20km of runs open, with just some walking routes passing underneath. However the pylons of the Spielboden cable car could be in danger and it was closed last week.

Experts are putting it down to warming temperatures. As the glacier has retreated it has left an expose cliff face. Now as the glacier advances, rather than being a continuous mass, seracs are pushed over the edge of this face.

The Feegletscher is 5km long and 6km wide. It stars at 3800 meters, ending at 2,000 meters altitude.