The Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) has extended its yellow warning for most of the country until Friday afternoon.
Last night, the warning was set to only apply until the early hours of Friday, but has now been extended with the exception of West Flanders and the coastal area, for which there is no warning.
The yellow warning for snow and ice is applicable in Brussels until 16:00, with other parts of the country following a similar or shorter timeline. In Liège, the warning won't be lifted until 20:00.
The institute warned that the combination of patches of ice and expected showers could make roads slippery. This can pose a danger to road-users and pedestrians.
Traffic chaos in France
Storm Caetano has brought significant disruptions in neighbouring France, affecting both road traffic and power supply. Snow and ice have made many roads slippery, stranding vehicles on highways.
French Transport Minister, François Durovray, stated that around 1,800 lorries are currently stuck on the A28 in the northwest and the A36 in the northeast because drivers ignored a ban on heavy goods traffic, causing further disruption for other vehicles.
Approximately 200,000 households are without electricity due to the severe winter weather, according to French media reports.
The power outage has primarily affected the northwestern regions of Normandy and Pays de la Loire; Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher expects that power will be restored for 90% of affected households by Saturday evening and that all problems will be resolved by Sunday.
Credit: Belga
Warnings for snow and ice have been issued across 29 departments, stretching from Normandy to Haut-Rhin, including the Paris region; Météo-France warns of significant ice risk due to freezing in much of northern France.
Dozens of traffic accidents occurred on Thursday, including a serious accident in the Manche department. School transport, which was stopped in several departments on Thursday, remains locally suspended.
Restrictions for lorries heavier than 7.5 tonnes, including speed limits of 20 km/h and overtaking bans on certain routes, are still in place. Several provincial roads and highways remain closed.
Train services are also experiencing delays, partially due to an ongoing industrial action at French railways SNCF. This situation is expected to continue on Friday, with trees fallen onto tracks in Normandy, Pays de la Loire, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and the Paris region.
Wintery Belgium gives way to warmer weekend
Occasional 'wintry' showers and variable cloud coverage are expected throughout the country today, the IRM noted. Precipitation is expected to be heaviest around the north of the country, while snow is expected in the Ardennes.
Temperatures will vary between 0°C in the upper Ardennes to 7°C along the coast throughout the day, and drop between -4°C around the East of the country and +1°C degree on the coast.
The wind will be moderate to fairly strong from the west to south-west, and along the coast it will be strong from the west-north-west, with gusts close to 60 km/h.
During the weekend, temperatures are expected to increase. Saturday will see temperatures rise between 1°C and 7°C around the country, while on Sunday, the weather is expected to remain relatively dry with temperatures rising up to between 13°C and 18°C, according to IRM.
