Brussels parks closed as more storms forecast

All parks, woods and cemeteries in the Brussels region will be closed from midday on Thursday as a precautionary measure as more storms and strong winds are forecast.

Brussels Environment said it would assess any damage on Friday morning before deciding whether the green spaces can reopen.

The Royal Meteorological Institute is forecasting the arrival of storms in Brussels from the south on Thursday afternoon, with heavy rain at times - possibly hail - and winds gusting up to 90kph.

More than 3,000 lightning strikes were recorded during the storms that crossed Belgium on Tuesday evening and early on Wednesday morning, the institute said. Luxembourg province had the heaviest rainfall.

In Brussels, a security perimeter was set up around the construction work on the former Sheraton hotel, as the bad weather caused several pieces of the building's facade to fall to the ground. In Schaerbeek, three large trees were uprooted in Parc Josaphat.

Photo: Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga