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Belgium faces continued heat and drought into August
🇧🇪 Belgium /Environment & Climate

Belgium faces continued heat and drought into August

From La Libre Belgique · () French

Translated from French, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Belgium is bracing for continued high temperatures in August, with some regions facing orange alerts.
  • Meteorologists predict temperatures will remain above seasonal averages, with a possibility of reaching 35°C (95°F) early in the month.
  • While a major heatwave is not expected, the summer is shaping up to be one of the hottest on record due to persistent high temperatures and extreme dryness.

Belgium is set for a continuation of hot weather into August, following a scorching July. The Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) has issued orange alerts for most of the country on Monday, with coastal areas and parts of Flanders exempted. Temperatures are expected to climb, potentially reaching 33-34°C (91-93°F) in central Belgium and up to 35°C (95°F) in the Campine region.

For the first few days of August, we will maintain trends of temperatures above seasonal norms. This will be particularly the case on Monday with 33-34°C in the center and up to 35°C in Campine. Tuesday we will be close to 30°C with risks of quite significant thunderstorms.

— Pascal MormalIRM meteorologist, describing the upcoming weather.

Meteorologist Pascal Mormal from the IRM forecasts that temperatures will remain above seasonal norms for the initial days of August. While Tuesday might see temperatures near 30°C (86°F) with a risk of thunderstorms, a significant cooling is not anticipated. "We are heading for a summer without excess," Mormal noted, though he clarified that this refers to the absence of extreme heatwaves, not a lack of heat overall.

Following the initial heat, temperatures are expected to decrease slightly towards the end of the week, reaching around 22°C (72°F) by Friday, before rising again to oscillate between 25-27°C (77-81°F). This pattern suggests that Belgium could meet the criteria for a heatwave, defined as five consecutive days with temperatures of at least 25°C (77°F), including three days reaching at least 30°C (86°F).

We are heading for a summer without excess.

— Pascal MormalIRM meteorologist, commenting on the expected summer conditions.

The current weather pattern is attributed to a high-pressure system blocking disturbances that could bring cooler air and rain. July recorded an average temperature of 20.4°C, making it exceptionally warm. Mormal estimates that this could be the hottest summer ever recorded, with both June and July being very hot and dry. Belgium is experiencing a significant precipitation deficit, with some areas receiving less than 1mm of rain in July, leading to extreme drought conditions and water usage restrictions in various authorities.

There is a high chance that this will be the hottest summer ever recorded.

— Pascal MormalIRM meteorologist, assessing the summer's temperature trends.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Libre Belgique in French. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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