Warmest week on record as heat wave continues through Sunday
Belgium has experienced its hottest heat wave ever this month, as the warm weather continues into next week
Remembering ’76
The average high at the institute in Ukkel over the last seven days was 33.5°C. While the heat wave of ’76 lasted longer, the mean temperature was lower.
In Belgium an official heat wave is announced when the temperature is 25° or more for at least five days in a row, with at least three of those days reaching 30°. Today marks the ninth day in the current heat wave. In 1976, it lasted 15 days, though temperatures didn’t reach quite as high as Belgium has seen over the last week.
We’re clearly seeing the effects of climate change, and I’m afraid there will not be any improvement in the coming years
“Here and there in the past we have seen intense heat waves – in 1911, 1947 and 1976, for instance,” said VRT meteorologist Frank Deboosere. “But there were very long periods between them. Now we see that since 2015 there has been at least one heat wave. Two years ago, we experience the warmest summer ever and last year the highest temperature ever recorded. This year we had the second-highest-ever temperature, and now the warmest week ever. We’re clearly seeing the effects of climate change, and I’m afraid there will not be any improvement in the coming years.”
The current heat wave will last through the weekend, thought temperatures in Belgium will drop to between 23° (coast) and 29° (Limburg). Brussels is looking at 26° today and tomorrow, rising to 29° on Sunday. The following three days will be cooler, with temps rising again at the end of the week.
In the meantime, storm weather started yesterday in the late afternoon, with thunder, lightning and sometimes heavy rainfall. Several areas experienced flooding, including the city of Antwerp and the Kempen, as well as East and West Flanders. Today could see the same, with rain continuing but tapering off in the weekend.
Photo ©Philippe Francois/BELGA
