Record-breaking temperatures to take a nose dive on Friday

Yesterday was the warmest day in March ever measured in Belgium, but today could very well break that record.

On Tuesday, the official high at the Royal Meteorological Institute in Uccle was 23.9°C. That is the warmest any day in March has ever been since records began being kept in 1892. The previous record was 22.7°C, recorded in 1968.

Brussels’ parks filled with people yesterday soaking up a bit of sun, and police had to ask people in Bois de la Cambre who were not adhering to coronavirus measures to disperse. Huge crowds gathered at stations to catch a train to the coast, forcing SNCB to trigger its emergency plan. That meant that once the train was as full as was deemed safe, only as many people could get on as disembarked at stations along the way. Coastal mayors have asked Belgians to not come to the coast this week.

High atmospheric pressure and warm winds from the south are responsible for the temperatures, which will last across the country until tomorrow. On Friday, though, we’re in for a bit of jolt – the high is expected to be just 11°C. It will drop even further on Saturday but rise a bit to 13° on Easter Sunday.

After that it gets worse, with rain storms predicted for early next week amid a chilly 7°. The rain is expected to taper off by the end of the week in Brussels, but the chilly weather will remain until at least mid-April.

Photo ©Laurie Dieffembacq/BELGA