The KMI has placed East Flanders, West Flanders and Hainaut under code orange, with the coast also orange, while other provinces stay at code yellow. The warning runs from Friday 23 October afternoon to early Saturday 24 October.
Gusts of 80 to 100 km/h are forecast, with peaks of around 110 km/h feared on the coast according to Le Soir. At sea winds will reach 9 to 10 Beaufort.
Brussels Environnement closes its parks and the Forest of Soignes from 13:00 on Friday 23 October. The Liège police close the Foire de Liège from early afternoon on Friday 23 October until Saturday morning.
Residents with storm or flood damage that is not life-threatening can call 1722, activated since Wednesday 21 October. The 112 number remains for immediate danger.
The national weather institute, known as KMI in Dutch and IRM in French, expects storm Austen to reach Belgium on Friday 23 October in the afternoon or evening. In its newest update, published on Thursday 22 October, the KMI places East Flanders, West Flanders and Hainaut under code orange, together with the coast, while the other provinces stay at code yellow. Earlier, according to De Morgen, only the coast was under code orange. The warning period is given by the IRM as 13:00 on Friday 23 October to 02:00 on Saturday 24 October, while De Morgen gives 12:00 to 01:00. At sea winds will reach 9 to 10 Beaufort, which the IRM classes as a strong storm, while the coast will see 6 to 8 Beaufort and inland areas 5 to 7 Beaufort.
Gusts of 80 to 100 km/h are forecast, and Le Soir reports that peaks of around 110 km/h are feared on the coast. A yellow rain warning covers the whole country from 05:00 on Friday 23 October to 05:00 on Saturday 24 October, with 25 to 50 litres per square metre possible within 24 hours. Temperatures are expected to reach 8°C in the Hautes Fagnes and 13 to 14°C in the lowlands.
Brussels Environnement will close its parks, nature reserves and woods, including the Forest of Soignes, to the public from 13:00 on Friday 23 October. Access is planned to resume on Saturday 24 October, once the sites have been inspected, cleaned and secured. Wallonia's Service public de Wallonie (SPW) says sites managed by the DNF will also close while the IRM warning is in force, among them Parc de Mariemont in Morlanwelz, Parc Bivort in Jumet and two parks in Verviers. The SPW also said:
“As this is the first significant storm of autumn, a 'cleaning' effect on the vegetation can be expected.”
The SPW advises people not to enter forests for outdoor activities, and recommends against forest works and hunting. Liège police will close the Foire de Liège from early afternoon on Friday 23 October until Saturday morning, and the city's cemeteries and parks will also be closed. Parks in Aalst will close temporarily as a precaution, and NMBS and Infrabel say trains along the coast will run more slowly.
Brussels fire brigade spokesperson Walter Derieuw said:
“Good preparation helps avoid a lot of damage and dangerous situations.”
Before the storm, the fire brigade advises bringing in or securing loose objects on balconies, terraces and in gardens, closing doors and windows, and parking vehicles away from trees and scaffolding. During the storm, people should stay indoors, avoid parks, woods and building sites, and never touch an electrical cable that has fallen to the ground. After the storm, they should wait until the situation is safe before inspecting damage. Non-urgent damage, such as a flooded cellar or a damaged roof, can be reported via 1722.be or by calling 1722, a number activated since Wednesday 21 October. The 112 number is reserved for people in immediate danger.
The tenth Brussels Diwali Festival, originally scheduled for the weekend of 24 and 25 October, will now take place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November on the Atomium esplanade. The organising ASBL Art India announced the change on Thursday 22 October because of the weather alerts in force. The organisation said:
“The safety of our visitors, artists, exhibitors and teams remains our absolute priority.”
All existing tickets remain valid for the new dates, and no action is needed from ticket holders. The programme remains unchanged.
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Belgium's national weather institute has placed three provinces and the coast under code orange ahead of storm Austen, with gusts of 80 to 100 km/h forecast from Friday 23 October afternoon.
AI text based on reports by De Morgen, Le Soir, La Libre.be and other publishers. Published .