VSn Tuesday, numerous floods affected the Ath region, due to heavy rainfall which fell on Belgium. The Péruwelz region is also strongly affected.
According to Notélé, local media, the fields are no longer able to absorb the numerous precipitations of recent hours, which has caused mudslides. Secondary roads were flooded, as were larger roads, which were closed to traffic.
Water invaded the roads in the villages of Mainvault, Moulbaix and Wuillaupuis. In some places, 30 to 40 liters of water per square meter fell.
Rescue operations
The emergency services of Picardy Wallonia carried out around fifty interventions on Tuesday following the torrential rains which fell in certain regions of western Hainaut. Certain areas of the Wapi were completely spared. No injuries were reported.
“The first calls were recorded shortly after 12:00 p.m. for mudslides, roads under water and flooded cellars following the heavy rains which fell late in the morning in certain regions of western Hainaut. Some towns, including Tournai, were relatively unaffected by this rain. Certainly, it rained, but nothing more,” indicated the dispatching of the Wapi emergency zone around 3 p.m.
“This is not the case in other cities and towns. In the Ath region, the city bypass was inaccessible for a while. In Ath, a couple had to be rehoused following the flooding of their house. In this same entity, mudslides affected the villages of Rebaix, Ostiches and Mainvault. The villages of Wiers (Péruwelz), Willaupuis (Leuze) and Blaton (Bernissart) were also affected. In Mouscron, the express road tunnel (Dottignies-Mouscron), which was underwater, had to be closed,” indicates Wapi dispatching.
Around 3:00 p.m., the most important interventions were finished. No injuries were reported in the Wapi area. “However, we are still expecting significant precipitation at the end of the afternoon,” further specifies the dispatching.
Further disruptions expected Tuesday afternoon
Tuesday afternoon, a disturbance will cross the country from the southwest to the northeast and will sometimes be accompanied by heavy precipitation and thunderstorms, predicts the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) in its midday bulletin. The maximum temperatures will be between 18°C at sea and 23 or 24°C in Belgian Lorraine.
It is especially in the south-east of the territory that the risk of intense showers accompanied by gusts of wind and hail will be greatest. The IRM has also issued a yellow rain warning for the entire territory with the exception of West Flanders. Accumulated precipitation of between 25 and 50 mm in 24 hours is expected in several areas of the country. The risk of strong gusts and hail during thunderstorms will be greater along the border between Germany and Luxembourg.
North of the Sambre-et-Meuse furrow, the wind will be moderate from the north, while to the south of it the wind will be moderate from the southeast then southwest.
This evening, rain or widespread (thunderstorm) showers will still be on the forecast. Then, the weather will gradually become dry in most regions. However, some showers will remain possible in the east and south-east of the country.
During the night, clearings will return to us from the sea. Minimums will oscillate between 12 and 15°C. The wind will be moderate from north to northeast in quite a few regions, but will remain weak with variable direction in Gaume and Haute Ardenne.
