Just days after Belgium beat a 119-year-old record with nine months of excessive rainfall, it has been confirmed that more rain has already fallen than usual in the entire month of July, continuing the record-breaking wet weather.
June marked the ninth month in a row with more rain than normal, the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) confirmed at the start of this month. The previous record for this phenomenon was set in 1905 when eight consecutive months with above-average precipitation were recorded. Last month, 73.7 millimetres of precipitation fell in the Brussels municipality of Uccle in 14 days, up from the average for June, which is 70.8 millimetres (on 14.1 days).
This month is already following suit, as more rain has fallen than normal in the entire month of July, even before the middle of the month, weather reporter David Dehenauw reported on social media.
Déjà 78 mm de pluie à Uccle depuis le 1/7, plus que la moyenne pour juillet (77 mm). 10 mois consécutifs de pluie > la moyenne. Le record de fin juin (9 mois), du jamais vu à ce moment, est donc « amélioré ».
— David Dehenauw (@DDehenauw) July 12, 2024
Translation: "Already 78 mm of rain in Uccle since 1 July, more than the average for July (77 mm). Ten consecutive months of rain above the average. The record set at the end of June (9 months), unheard of at the time, has therefore been 'improved'."
So far this month, 78 millimetres of precipitation has already fallen in Uccle, surpassing the normal precipitation amount (77 millimetres). This makes July the tenth month in a row with more precipitation than average. "The unprecedented record from the end of June is thus being challenged by at least a month," Dehenauw affirmed.
The news hardly comes as a surprise for Belgian residents after an exceptionally wet week. On Tuesday, torrential rain and thunderstorms swept across the country, causing damage, flooding tunnels and cellars and resulting in the death of a baby in Uccle. The RMI also issued a code yellow warning for rain across Belgium on Friday. The Brussels Fire Brigade reportedly responded to 77 incidents, including 64 water damage incidents.
By the end of the month, the average rainfall is likely to be beaten by more than 1 mm. More rain is expected in the coming days as the country faces a "north-to-northwesterly supply of chilly and unstable maritime air that may cause showers between the disturbances," the RMI warned.
Saturday will be initially overcast with occasional rain showers, especially in the centre and southeast of the country. Sunday and Monday will be sunny at first but during the course of the day, it will become cloudier with occasional rain. For Monday afternoon, rain and thunderstorms are predicted. More local showers are expected on Tuesday.
