Sub-zero temperatures will hit Belgium next week, as heavy rain recedes and biting cold takes its place.
Belgium is due to experience its coldest weather since February 2021 from Sunday, when temperatures will drop to 0°C and fall to -5°C in the centre of the country during next week.
Known as the "Moscow-Paris" effect, negative temperatures are the result of a high-pressure zone over Britain and Ireland and subsequent cold winds from Scandinavia. Temperatures in Sweden and Finland have dropped to -40°C and -20°C respectively and trains in some regions have stopped running due to safety concerns.
On Tuesday Sweden recorded its coldest January night in 25 years, with a reading of -43.6C in the far north as a cold snap hit the Nordics.
VIDEO: Snow in Stockholm as country sees record cold temperatures.
Sweden is swathed in snow as the country recorded its coldest January night in 25 years, with a reading of minus 43.6 degrees Celsius in the far north. The cold snap has also hit neighbouring Finland pic.twitter.com/FOHevS813J — AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 4, 2024
Although Central Europe won't experience the same lows, the wind from Scandinavian regions will accentuate the cold in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. These conditions are expected to persist until mid-January and will be accompanied by bright sunshine and minimal precipitation.
Out of the ordinary?
Belgium has already experienced multiple severe weather warnings since the beginning of 2024. Flooding as a result of heavy rainfall has damaged homes and infrastructure in Flanders and Wallonia, and the Brussels-Capital Region has also been placed on high alert. A tornado in Antwerp on Wednesday rendered over 40 homes uninhabitable.
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Despite the jump from heavy precipitation to a sharp drop in temperature, the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) says the incoming cold is typical during winter months. No harm will be done to Belgian flora, which is equipped to withstand the temperature drop and may even benefit from the killing off of bacteria and other harmful insects.
