Code yellow and orange warnings will come into force this evening as Belgium is expected to be hit by thunderstorms, with heavy showers and hail.
On Monday, Belgium was bathed in sunshine and warm temperatures on what was the warmest day of the year (and the hottest 12 August ever). Various warning levels were issued for heat. Meanwhile, Tuesday will be more overcast in many places.
"While warm air is still arriving in Belgium from the south, this is increasingly unstable, with higher chances of thunderstorms," the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) stated. A thunderstorm warning has therefore been issued for the whole country, excluding East and West Flanders, as the storms are mainly expected to hit the centre and eastern regions.
The code yellow warning has been scaled up to orange in the provinces of Limburg and Liège, coming into force from around 17:00 until 01:00. Later in the evening (between 20:30 and 22:30), code yellow will start applying in Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, Brussels, Hainaut, Namur, Luxembourg and Walloon Brabant, until around 10:00.
"The thunderstorms may be accompanied by abundant precipitation, hail. Wind gusts may also occur, although this is not the biggest risk," the RMI noted. "The warning may be scaled up to orange in other provinces too," it added.
Drop in temperatures
Code yellow for heat will remain in place until the end of Tuesday in the provinces of Limburg and Luxembourg.
From Wednesday, a substantial drop in temperatures is expected. The day will be mostly cloudy with a continued chance of rain and thunderstorms in the morning before the skies clear in the afternoon. Maximum temperatures will hover between 22 and 26°C.
Thursday will remain dry with sunny spells and similar temperatures. Friday brings the chance of more rain, especially in the western part of the country. In the east it is likely to stay dry and fairly sunny until the evening. Temperatures will sit around 22°C at the coast and 25 or 26°C in the northeast.
