A code yellow warning for heavy rain has been issued for one Belgian province on Friday, while rain is expected across most of the country on Saturday. However, warmer and sunnier days are on the cards next week.
Summer in Belgium has been a wash-out so far, with record-breaking rainfall even in the usually warmer, drier months of June and July. Little improvement is forecast for Friday and Saturday, especially in the south. The Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) has issued a code yellow warning for the province of Luxembourg from Friday morning until the evening because of the expected rain.
"A stagnant front with several waves will drag over the southeast of the country, bringing a prolonged episode of (intense) rainfall," the warning read. "There may also be a thunderstorm. We expect precipitation amounts above 25 mm over 24 hours, and locally up to 50-60 mm."
In light of this warning, the Home Affairs Ministry activated the helpline 1722 to ensure that the emergency line 112 remains available for people in urgent need. Anyone who has suffered storm or water damage requiring assistance from the fire brigade can apply via the e-counter or call the number 1722.
Friday will be a largely cloudy, dry day across the rest of the country with some clearings from the west. Saturday will start dry and sunny, however clouds will soon form followed by rain from the centre to the east. "Rainfall could be especially heavy south of Sambre and Meuse," the RMI warned. The maximum temperature on Saturday will be 21°C.
Sunnier days ahead
From Sunday onwards, things are looking up. The final day of the weekend will see sunny spells and temperatures of between 23°C and 24°C in the centre of the country. Monday will be sunny with occasional high cloud cover and temperatures of between 25°C and 26°C. On Tuesday, the sun will return alongside warmer temperatures (up to 29°C).
On Wednesday, temperatures will soar to 31°C locally, but the weather will become more unstable, with an increasing chance of rain and thunderstorms towards the evening. On Thursday too, showers and thunderstorms are possible in the east of the country, while the western part of Belgium will enjoy some sunshine.
