Amber weather warning for fierce gusts of wind and torrential showers
Forget last weekend's bright and mild weather. Belgium jumps from spring to stormy autumn weather today as Storm Renata cross the country. The storm brings intense showers and violent squalls. Temperatures also take a dive. Parks and forests in the Brussels Region will close for safety reasons.
The first showers arrive during the morning. In the afternoon, an intense line of showers, accompanied by high winds and the chance of thunderstorms and hail, will move from the coast towards the interior.
Gusts of up to 90 km/h may occur during the showers. Expect highs between 8 degrees Celsius in the Ardennes and 11 degrees Celsius in the centre. A code yellow weather warning for wind is in force from 12 to 7 pm. Disruption and damage are possible.
Tonight, reckon with the odd shower. Expect clearer weather between the showers. In the Ardennes, showers will fall as (melting) snow. Overnight, more clouds will arrive from the coast, with more showers. Especially at sea, gusts of up to 80 km/h are still possible.
Emergency number 1722 activated
To avoid overloading the emergency services, the home affairs ministry has activated the 1722 helpline to report damage and seek help in non-life-threatening situations. The most direct way to request fire brigade assistance is to submit a digital request via 1722.be, but you can also call.
For potentially life-threatening situations use 112.
Avoid trees
In Brussels, parks and forests will close from noon to 7pm. Notices will be posted at the entrances and park rangers will be on hand to inform the public. The Brussels environment agency urges people to avoid trees throughout the region.
After the stormy weather, parks and forests will be inspected, cleared of any debris and made safe. They will then once again be accessible to the public.
The Flemish nature and forest agency is urging people visiting forests and nature reserves across Flanders to be careful this afternoon. "Due to strong gusts, branches may break off and trees may fall over. We cannot guarantee our visitors’ safety."
The Walloon counterpart of the nature and forest agency has a similar message. A number of parks in Wallonia will also be closed.
In the seaside resort of Ostend (West Flanders), no walkers are allowed onto the jetty and pier this afternoon. Due to the strong gusts forecast at the coast (over 100 km/hour), it is too dangerous to walk on the pier and breakwaters. For the same reason, the pier in the port city of Nieuwpoort (West Flanders) has also been closed.