The bad weather in Belgium will not be easing any time soon. On Monday, two code yellows were activated due to the expected heavy rainfall and strong wind gusts in the country.
The Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) is warning of bad weather on Monday afternoon and has announced that a code yellow will be in force both for wind and for heavy rainfall in certain provinces.
Across the country, code yellow will apply from 12:00 until 20:00, meaning gusts between 80 and 100 km/h could occur. Only on Monday evening and by the night will the wind gradually decrease inland.
"An active depression core moves from the British Isles to the North Sea today. Winds will gradually strengthen to become fairly strong," RMI warned. The Met Office in the United Kingdom has officially recognised this as a new storm named Debi.
Meanwhile, from 08:00 in the morning until 22:00, code yellow for heavy rain is in place for the provinces of Liège and Luxembourg. "An active rain zone, which already reached our country early this morning, could cause more than 25 l/m² of rain in the regions south of Sambre and Meuse. In the province of Luxembourg, precipitation could very locally even exceed 35 or 40 l/m²," the RMI noted.
It added that during the afternoon, it will gradually get drier from the coast and clearings will appear. "In High Belgium, however, we still expect rain or showers until the end of the day, some of which could be intense. Showers will follow on Tuesday, which could further increase the total precipitation amount in High Belgium to more than 30 or 40 l/m² (and very locally even to 50 l/m² or a bit more)."
Helpline activated
The 1722 helpline number was also activated, intended for non-life-threatening matters during extreme weather conditions such as storm or water damage requiring a call from the fire brigade. It also ensures that the 112 emergency line can be reserved for potentially life-threatening situations.
The easiest way to contact 1722 is via the online hotline 1722.be – the request then goes directly to the fire brigade – or by calling 1722. The call then reaches the operators of the 112 emergency centres, but they handle the urgent 112 calls first, and only secondarily the calls to 1722.
It will be very mild for the time of year on Monday, with temperatures rising to 15°C or locally 16°C in several areas. Wednesday will be alternately cloudy with local showers, especially in the Ardennes. However, it will largely remain dry.
