Brussels could experience its mildest winter on record

If Brussels continues to experience its unseasonably warm winter temperatures throughout the month of February, it could break current records for mildest winter.

Up until now, the mildest winter registered by the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) since it began recording in 1833 was the winter of 2006-2007, when the average temperature was 6.6°C.

If this record is to be broken, Belgian Meteorologiest Frank Deboosere writes on his website that an average temperature of 7.1°C would need to be recorded in February. "It won't be easy, but it is possible", Deboosere writes. "This meteorological winter (December-February) we have experienced only three days with frost and not a single day when the temperature remained under 0°C the whole day".

Deboosere attributes this year’s mild temperatures to a prevailing southwest jet stream, with air currents generating warm sea winds that are carried quickly across the country.

Photo courtesy of Flickr/luisar