The tail end of the ex-hurricane Kirk has passed through Belgium. Code orange warnings were issued ahead of its arrival. In the end, the damage was limited and all weather warnings have now been lifted.
The Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) predicted considerable rainfall due to the ex-hurricane Kirk, especially in the south. In the provinces of Liège, Namur and Luxembourg, code orange was issued, as 50 to 80 l/m2 of rain was expected to fall. The worst of the storm has passed over Belgium, and fortunately, it caused limited damage.
The Brussels Fire Brigade said the capital region was "largely spared" by the persistent rainfall. It received ten calls for flooded streets, spokesperson Walter Derieuw confirmed. Among other things, the fire brigade had to intervene in the Vleurgat tunnel, while the Allée Verte next to the Brussels Canal also flooded.
Impact in Wallonia
One major flood was confirmed in the Namur town of Couvin, near the French border. Streets in its centre were flooded after a small stream overflowed its banks. A local emergency and intervention plan was activated and some people at a campsite were evacuated. However, all streets are now accessible again.
The firefighters of the Dinaphi zone (Dinant/Philippeville), covering Couvin, carried out around 40 operations, Belga News Agency reported. Interventions concerned flooded roads and cellars, fallen trees and rubble on the roads in Couvin, Yvoir and Rochefort. Some homes were damaged.
Ondertussen komen de eerste beelden binnen van #wateroverlast in het zuidoosten van België. Deze beelden zijn vanavond gemaakt in #Couvin (provincie Namen). #inondation © Lukas Roulin (via Météo Charleroi) pic.twitter.com/De9PebVkk7
— Ward Bruggeman ⚡️ (@MeteoWard) October 9, 2024
While the worst has passed, an increased risk of flooding remains in areas where water levels in rivers and small streams rose sharply. In the hardest-hit province of Luxembourg, between 50 and 90 l/m2 of rain fell, causing water levels to rise sharply in several tributaries of the Semois, Chiers and Sûre rivers.
Water service Hydrometrie Wallonie warned that early warning alarm thresholds were exceeded for all three rivers. Even after the rain has stopped, water levels could continue to rise due to the filling up of reservoirs. "This could cause flooding, especially in lower-lying parts of these provinces. Residents near rivers and run-off streams are advised to remain vigilant."
Early warning thresholds were also reached on the Vesdre and Amblève rivers and will be reached on the Our and Ourthe rivers on Thursday morning. "It remains possible that the alert thresholds (resulting in significant overflows affecting homes and infrastructure) will be exceeded, mainly on the Our and Ourthe rivers." It noted on its website that events will be closely monitored.
Neighbouring France was more severely hit by the depression. Here, it left some 64,000 people without power, uprooted trees, and resulted in one death, France 24 reported.
More rain coming
In large parts of the country, Thursday morning started drier, and all weather warnings were lifted after 09:00. However, RMI noted that showers from the North Sea could still lead to accumulations of 5 to 10 l/m² if rain, or even 15 l/m² locally.
"Today, depression Kirk moves from northern Germany further into Scandinavia. Behind it, a northwesterly flow will carry fresh and unstable maritime air over our country, containing several showers," it noted. These showers can become powerful and even be accompanied by thunder in some places. At sea, fairly strong northwest winds are expected, with gusts around 60 km/h.
From Friday, a high-pressure cell will develop over Belgium, largely stabilising the fresh air mass. Temperatures are expected to sit between 9°C in the south of Belgium and 14°C elsewhere. Both Friday and Saturday are expected to be largely dry.
