Snow fell in Belgium on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and the 'yellow alert' for slippery conditions has been extended for all provinces until 13:00 on Friday.
The Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) predicts widespread frost on Thursday evening and into the night. "The precipitation on Wednesday and Thursday will continue to keep the roads wet and patches of ice and snow will form," the institute warns.
The weather is expected to dry up but showers are possible in some areas. Temperatures will drop to -2 °C in central regions and to 2°C on the coast. There is a risk of thick fog in southern regions.
In Brussels, Bois de la Cambre has been closed to traffic until further notice.
Snowy streets pictured in Brussels on the morning of Thursday 09 January 2025. Credit: Belga / Nicolas Maeterlinck
Delays at Brussels Airport
Heavy overnight snowfall caused significant disruptions at Brussels Airport on Thursday morning. Most flights were delayed by up to an hour, and around five flights were preemptively cancelled to avoid excessive delays, according to airport spokesperson Ihsane Chioua Lekhli.
Cancelled flights included destinations such as Milan, Warsaw and Venice. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flights on the website before heading to the airport and to allow extra travel time due to the potential impact of the winter weather on roads and public transport.
Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
No major transport disruptions
In Brussels, the Allée Verte (a major road in the Northern Quarter) was closed due to flooding but the passage has since reopened. The Brussels Fire Brigade has cleared 15 trees on public roads.
Public transport operator STIB says several buses in Uccle, Watermael-Boitsfort and Auderghem were slightly delayed this morning but there are no major problems on the network.
Drivers have been urged to exercise caution on the roads, as the Brussels ring road and some carriageways remain slippery despite salting.
Several accidents have already occurred on Thursday morning, with one collision on the E40 in Verune claiming the life of a 12-year-old British boy, according to federal police. Five other passengers sustained minor injuries.
Snowy road in a landscape in Hasselt on Wednesday 08 January 2025. Credit: Belga / Jill Delsaux
Belgium's railway operator SNCB are advising people to regularly check their website for updates.
In the east, the train line between Liège and Aachen in Germany is partly suspended due to a faulty train. Trains are only running between Liège-Guillemins and Maastricht in the Netherlands. From Maastricht, passengers need to take bus 350 to get to Aachen. The duration of this disruption is not yet known.
Flemish bus service De Lijn says there has been no change in their services for now.
In Wallonia, bus service Tec has activated its 'bad weather plan' and several buses routes have been cancelled in Walloon Brabant, Charleroi, Mons-Borinage, Hainaut, Namur and Luxembourg. There are many diversions. Around 20 rivers in the region are at risk of overflowing.
Freezing temperatures in the south
An orange alert has been issued in the province of Liège, where residents have been warned to be particularly cautious. The yellow alert in the rest of the country (apart from the Flemish coast) concerns slippery conditions on the roads.
A car rides on a snowy road in the Ardennes. Credit: Belga
Snow first reached the southern province of Luxembourg on Wednesday and moved towards the centre of the country on Thursday morning.
The Interior Ministry activated the special number 1722 on Wednesday morning due to the risk of flooding. People are advised to call this number in the event of water damage but should call the usual emergency number 112 if a life is in danger.
The weather has claimed the lives of two people in northern France. One person died after falling in the street and suffering fatal head injuries, despite receiving first aid. Another person, who was homeless, was found dead in the early morning in Valenciennes.
This article was updated at 15:50, 9 January, with new information.
