Chaos as storm hits Belgium

The morning traffic was severely affected this Monday morning with the arrival of a storm named Christian from the direction of Brittany. The Royal Meteorological Institute recorded winds of up to 100 km/h in the interior of the country. As the day progressed, the storm was expected to die down.

Rail services were disrupted in Brussels and Namur by objects blown onto the line, including tree branches and a police crash-barrier at Luxembourg station in Brussels. In Antwerp, Brussels, Namur and Mechelen parks, including the Bois de la Cambre, were closed due to the danger of falling branches. Brussels public transport was also affected, after a tram 39 was derailed because of leaves on the line, and a tree fell on power lines on the tram 81 route.

Trees fell on cars in Heverlee near Leuven, as well as in Haacht and Overijse. Roofs blew off of buildings in Gooik and Braine-l’Alleud. Fire brigades were on full alert across the country, with call-outs highest in Brussels, as well as Vilvoorde, Zaventem and Halle.

The storm was forecast to move eastwards as the afternoon progresses, though the weather will remain cloudy with strong winds and a likelihood of local rain.