Temperatures are expected to reach 30°C in the coming days, spurring the Federal and Flemish Governments to activate the warning phases of their ozone and heat plans.
While it is unlikely people in Belgium will again experience a heat wave, a week of very sunny and warm weather with little wind is forecast by the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI), with temperatures to rise to between 25°C and 30°C in the north of the country.
As a result, the warning phase of the federal ozone and heat plan and the Flemish Heat Action Plan will be activated from Tuesday 5 September, the Interregional Cell for the Environment (Ircel) announced on Tuesday.
Tweet translation: Today and the following days, the RMI is forecasting warm to very warm weather. The warning phase of the Federal Ozone and Heat Plan and the Flemish Heat Action Plan will be activated from today, Tuesday 5 September 2023.
The warning phase took effect on Tuesday because the so-called temperature indicator was exceeded: more than 25°C Celsius is predicted in Uccle in the coming days. Ozone concentrations will also be higher than normal for this time of year.
Keeping cool
Belgium has had a federal ozone and heat plan since 2005, following an exceptionally severe heatwave across Europe in August 2003, which resulted in a sharp rise in morbidity and mortality among vulnerable people. The national plan anticipates heat and ozone peaks and proactively sets measures to prevent and mitigate the health effects.
During the alert phase, the FPS Public Health, in close cooperation with the National Crisis Centre and the regional crisis centres, is responsible for coordinating and implementing appropriate measures to control the effects of heat and ozone on the health of the population.
Brussels Environment confirmed that it triggered the warning phase of the Ozone and Heat Plan given the predicted temperatures, and called on citizens to drink plenty of water, rest and limit physical exertion and keep curtains and blinds closed during the day and ventilate at night.
The Flemish Department of Care explicitly asked people to take care of others, especially children and older people who are more sensitive to the heat.
