Belgium has been affected by snowfall since Wednesday evening, causing significant disruption to public transport. The snow disturbance is expected to leave the country this Thursday at the end of the day.
After significant rainfall over the past 24 hours, the snow will continue to fall Thursday afternoon. There winter precipitation zone will travel to the eastern half of Belgium. Gradually, it will finally reach Germany. A accumulation of a few centimeters of snow remains possible, especially in the east and southeast, according to the latest IRM forecasts.
From the more you North sunny spells will appear, but a few winter showers will remain possible. The maxima have already been reached south of the Sambre and Meuse furrow and temperatures will drop to around +1 degree in Belgian Lorraine and -2 degrees in Haute Ardenne. In Lower and Middle Belgium the maxima will vary between 0 or +1 degree in Limburg and +5 degrees on the coast.
Thursday evening and overnight, it will be gradually dry sometimes with wide clearings. In the east and south there will be a risk of fog and low clouds. The minimums will be around -2 degrees in the central part of the country and +2 degrees on the coast.
Reinforced vigilance on Walloon roads
Mobility on the Walloon road network is currently insured, indicated Thursday the Road Action Cell (CAR) in an update shared at 12:30 p.m. A few accidents have been observed, often following dangerous maneuvers, particularly heavy goods vehicles, she specifies.
The Road Action Unit – made up of the Regional Center for Risk Coordination and Transmission of Expertise (Cortex), the Perex center and the federal road police – remains activated. ” There increased vigilance is maintained and the situation on the Walloon road network continues to be subject to regular monitoring in order to take all appropriate measures,” she further assures.
According to the latest forecasts of the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM), the snow will leave the country during the afternoon. The snow accumulations still expected are of the order of one to two centimeters (with the exception of the heights, where five centimeters are locally possible). The situation should therefore gradually improve on the network, according to the CAR. She reminds that a few isolated winter showers remain possible in the afternoon.
THE road users are invited to stay careful if they have to use the road network. The Road Action Unit recommends that they adapt their speed, avoid any sudden maneuvers, keep a sufficient safety distance from the vehicle in front, provide the necessary equipment (snow tires), carefully check the condition of their vehicle and not to overtake the spreaders.
The Tec network disrupted in several regions
Most bus lines in the Liège-Verviers area are canceled on Thursday due to winter conditions, we could read at the end of the morning on the Tec website. Traffic is disrupted throughout Wallonia.
Le Tec has activated its bad weather plan in the Walloon provinces due to weather conditions and snowfall. Around noon, almost all the lines were canceled at Liège-Verviers while waiting for weather conditions to improve.
Walloon Brabant, Charleroi, Mons-Borinage, the Center, Western Hainaut, the province of Namur and that of Luxembourg are also affected by some line deletions and many deviations.
Le Tec invites travelers to monitor potential disruptions on their line using the bad weather plan for their region, regularly reassessed during the day. It is available on the operator’s website.
Delays and canceled flights at Brussels Airport
Snowfall also caused disruptions at Zaventem airport Thursday morning. There most flights were experiencing delays, some of up to an hour, and five flights were canceled, according to Ihsane Chioua Lekhli, airport spokesperson.
The delays are linked to aircraft de-icing before they can take off. “We have to treat each device. It takes at least twenty minutes by plane,” specifies the spokesperson. The trails must also be treated or cleared of snow.
Brussels Airport advises passengers to check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport and to depart well in advance in view of the weather conditions on the roads.
Thirteen Walloon rivers placed on flood alert
Filled with rain and snow since the day before, many Walloon rivers were placed under protection on Thursday. flood alert or pre-alert phase. The alert thresholds have been crossed for 13 rivers and rivers, while around twenty others were closely monitored for risks of minor local flooding.
THE flow rates increased sharply during the night for 13 rivers: the Chiers, the Our, the Amblève, the Ourthe Inferior, Middle and Superior, the Viroin, the Haute Meuse and the Middle Meuse, the Eau d’heure , the Eau Noire, the Haute Lesse, the Lhomme and their tributaries. Caution is therefore “essential” around them, because these watercourses could overflow their banks and cause flooding affecting residents and infrastructure. Around twenty rivers are also getting closer to flooding but remain on pre-alert for the moment. This is particularly the case of the Vesdre in eastern Belgium, the Senne, the Escaut, the Semois and the Sambre.
The Namur police also reported that the Sambre and the Meuse were overflowing “in several places”. Several towpaths are therefore closed to traffic, both automobile and pedestrian. The police remind you not to cross the markings placed to block access for security reasons and invite people parked in these places to move their vehicles as quickly as possible.
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