Snow is causing chaos on Belgian roads with numerous incidents taking place across the country. In one, a grit spreader struck a guardrail and flipped on the E313 motorway in Flanders near Ranst, on Friday afternoon.
The vehicle ditched its load and the driver was injured. Road traffic in the area has been significantly disrupted. The exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined, but heavy snows have made roads in the surrounding area treacherous.
The driver likely lost control while driving in the right-hand lane and hit the safety rail, before tipping towards the central divider and veering back towards the right-side of the highway.
Reports so far
Elsewhere in Belgium, the cold weather conditions have caused massive disruption to journeys. In the province of Liège, heavy snowfall has seen delays on the E42 motorway at Poller and near Verviers, Theux, and Fléréon. Traffic jams of more than 50 kilometres have been reported due to incidents relating to trucks.
Disruptions on the E42 Battic-Prüm motorway, as well as on surrounding roads, mainly on the N3 between Bois-de-Breux and Herve have also been reported. The N62 is also closed at Beaufays, as well as the N629 at Eupen.
Another crash has been reported on the E40 towards Aix-la-Chapelle near Hauts Sarts. The Central and right lanes on the road that leads to the German border have been closed.
In many parts of Flanders, De Lijn buses are no longer running. The Flemish public transport company announced at 13:00 that many services had been cancelled due to “extreme weather conditions.” There are now up to 10 centimetres of snow in some areas, which is causing major disruptions and slowdowns.
Adverse conditions
This afternoon, the weather is set to be very cloudy with rains blowing in from the Netherlands and the North Sea, though the west of the country will be spared, the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) forecasts. Showers may turn into sleet at times leading the IRM to issue yellow warnings for slippery conditions on the roads.
In the evening and during the night, weather will be variable with mixed winter showers from the north. Snowfall is likely in Belgium’s southern regions but could also affect the rest of the country.
Later tonight, the weather will become dry across the country and the skies should clear. The IRM has issued warnings for freezing fog. Drivers should be cautious of black ice on the roads.
The night will be cold with lows between -9℃ in the Ardennes, -3℃ in the centre of the country, and temperatures around 0℃ along the coast. There will also be a weak to moderate wind from the northeast. At the coast, gusts are expected to be strong.
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Saturday will start with sunshine in some areas though temperatures will vary between -3℃ in the south and 3℃ at the coast.
The Road Action Unit (CAR), composed of the Regional Crisis Centre of Wallonia (CRC-W), the Perex Centre, and the Federal Highway Police, assures that the Public Service of Wallonia (SPW) will mobilise all resources to keep traffic moving and reduce accidents.
It calls on motorists to adapt their speed, avoid sudden manoeuvres, keep a sufficient distance from the vehicle in front, use the necessary equipment (winter tires and snow chains), check the condition of their vehicles, and not overtake grit spreaders.
