Talking Dutch: If it’s snowing, it must be summer
Keeping an eye on our unpredictable weather is made simple with the help of a couple of websites. Just don’t expect to like what you read
Sunny outlook
But at least we now have weather websites to warn us about what to expect. One of the best is the Dutch site Buienradar. You can turn to that before you leave the house to check whether to take an umbrella. Or wear shorts. Or both.
The site uses radar to track the rain as it moves across the Low Countries, so you might spot, for example, a brief window of opportunity between 11.05 and 11.10 when you might just be able to dash out to Colruyt between two massive downpours.
Sometimes the forecasters have some exciting news they want to tell you about. Tot 10.30 is het droog! – It’s going to stay dry until 10.30! they exclaim, as if they are reporting a rare meteorological event that might not happen again for a century.
Camping ruled out
Another site that can be quite helpful in planning your life is Meteovista. Particularly useful is the section called Activiteitenweer – weather activities. This lists various pastimes you might want to do in Belgium if the weather permits – Fietsen – cycling; Kamperen – camping; Strand – beach; Korte rokjes – short skirts.
Alongside each activity is a weercijfer – a weather number, which rates activities on a scale of one to 10. Wanneer bijvoorbeeld wind en regen een negatieve invloed hebben gaan er punten af – when, for example, the wind and rain are going to have a negative effect, points are deducted. De minimale score is een 1 – The lowest score is one.
I checked the site recently when some friends were visiting – Er komen geregeld buien voor en daarbij staat een stevige westerwind – We can expect regular showers with a strong westerly wind, it said.
The activiteitenweer chart listed the options. Barbecue: one. Strand: one. Camping out of the question.
But there was a hint of hope. Fietsen: four. We could go cycling even if there was a howling gale, it suggested. Wandelen: six. A walk in the countryside was still an option, I was pleased to see, though it seemed we would end up soaked to the skin. Best of all, Voetbal – football, scored an eight. Despite the heavy rain. And the icy blast.
But short skirts were definitely not a good idea.
Photo courtesy Buienradar
