Parks, nature reserves and woods in Brussels and Antwerp will be closed from Wednesday evening due to the strong gusts of wind expected from Storm Ciarán on Thursday. Code orange has also been issued for West Flanders.
The Royal Meteorological Institute has issued code yellow in Belgium for Thursday as the eye of Storm Ciarán moves from the United Kingdom to Belgium.
The storm is expected to bring winds of between 80 to 100 km/h, and caution is advised throughout the code yellow period. Code orange will apply to West Flanders from 07:00 to 21:00 on Thursday.
The helpline 1722 for storm and water damage has also been activated by the Home Affairs Ministry. The purpose of 1722 is to prevent emergency numbers from being overwhelmed by calls for assistance that can wait.
In the event of storm damage or water damage requiring fire brigade assistance, this number should be dialled, or people can request help on the website 1722.be.
Brussels parks closed
The Agency for Nature and Forests (ANB) has advised people to avoid forests and parks. The Brussels-Capital Region has announced it will close its parks and green spaces from 18:00 on Wednesday due to the strong gusts of wind forecast as the storm passes over the country.
This was announced by Brussels Environment on Tuesday on social media, and notices will be placed at the entrances and wardens will inform the public. The reopening of these green spaces has not yet been determined and will depend on the weather forecast, the agency said.
Tweet translation: "Access to all green spaces, the Sonian Forest and Bois de la Cambre is forbidden for your safety."
Among the green spaces in Brussels that will be closed to the public are the Sonian Forest, which covers the municipalities of Watermael-Boitsfort, Auderghem, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and Uccle; Parc du Scheutbos in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean; Parc du Cinquantenaire in Etterbeek and Bruxelles-Ville; Bois du Laerbeek in Jette; Abbaye de la Cambre in Ixelles; and Bois de la Cambre.
In general, Brussels Environment recommends avoiding driving near trees throughout the country. As soon as the alert is lifted, green spaces will be inspected, cleaned and made safe, before being reopened to the public.
All provincial domains in West Flanders will also be closed from 18:00 on Wednesday. The Sterrebos in Roeselare will be closed even earlier.
In Nieuwpoort, for instance, the historical light show 'Waar Water Was' will not take place on Thursday. In addition, the petting zoo, sports park, palisades and parks will remain closed. The nature reserves in De Panne will also be closed as a precautionary measure from 18:00 on Wednesday.
In Antwerp, all urban parks will be closed to the public from 17:00 on Wednesday, while cemeteries will be closed from the morning on Wednesday, despite these places being popular on All Saints' Day. These are expected to re-open on Friday following checks by park staff.
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The Middelheim Museum is also closed during the storm, as well as the roof terrace of the MAS, but the museum itself will remain open.
In the province of East Flanders, provincial recreational areas will also be closed on Thursday, authorities stated on social media. "All forests and nature reserves are also forbidden during stormy weather, even if the entrances are not physically closed," the warning noted. All hiking trails, outdoor sports grounds and golf domains will also be closed on 2 November.
