The past month was the second darkest October in recorded history in Belgium, the Royal Meteorological Institute, IRM, said on Sunday in its monthly climate report.
The sun was out for just 56 hours and 32 minutes in Uccle, way below the normal 112 hours and 38 minutes. However, this was still more than the absolute record, set in October 1998, when only 42 hours and 48 minutes of sunshine were recorded.
There was only one day with a sky that was clear to slightly cloudy, whereas the month usually has 3.4 such days on average. The only other time this happened was in 1998.
The month of October also ended on a warm note. During the first 19 days of the month, temperatures were below the seasonal average, but the trend changed from the 20th with temperatures above normal up to the 31st. There was even a “spring” day - on 21 October.
The average temperature for the month, 11.5 degrees, was close to the normal of 11.1 degrees. The highest temperature during the month was 22.4 degrees in Liège-Monsin on 21 October. The lowest was -2,3 degrees, registered on 18 October at Elsenborn (Bütgenbach).
Last month was also very slightly wetter than the norm, the IRM notes. It rained very regularly in Uccle, first from the 1st to the 13th, then from the 20th up to the end of the month. Monthly rainfall was 75.8 mm (the norm is 74.5 mm) which fell on 22 days, as against 16.6 days in an average year.
There were 8 days of stormy weather in the country, whereas the norm for the month of October is 5.9 days.
The Brussels Times
