Four beaches open early for swimming at Belgian coast

The upcoming extended holiday weekend promises to be warm and sunny with temperatures up to 25 degrees. In the coastal resort towns of Knokke-Heist, Koksijde, Blankenberge and De Haan, lifeguards will be on duty at the weekend, which is exceptional outside of the normal bathing season. The rescue stations will be monitored daily from 10.30 to 18.30.

While a dip in the North Sea is allowed this weekend in the four municipalities, other resort towns will not activate their rescue services until later this year, which makes swimming there forbidden and even punishable, reports the Coastal Rescue Service of West Flanders (IKWV).

The warm outdoor temperatures are no indication of the water temperature, which is expected to reach only about 13 degrees at the weekend, cold enough to cause physical complaints, warns the IKWV.