Violent storms batter southern Belgium: firefighters overwhelmed, emergency plan activated, and a stark warning on climate readiness

Storms strike with sudden fury

After a day of sunshine, violent thunderstorms erupted across southern Belgium on Saturday evening, catching many off guard. The Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) had issued an orange warning at 5:00 p.m., covering all Walloon provinces, Limburg, Flemish Brabant, and the Brussels region. The alert, in effect until 6:00 a.m. Sunday, warned of violent storms with strong winds and hail. The storms were localized, hitting the center and southeast of the country hardest.

In the Tournai, Antoing, and Lessines regions, a deluge began around 8:30 p.m. after a day without rain. Within fifteen minutes, the sky darkened, thunder roared, and by 8:45 p.m. torrential rain and deafening hail were lashing the area. The phenomenon stopped as suddenly as it started, with the sun reappearing by 9:15 p.m. The province of Hainaut was particularly affected, with firefighters reporting at least 50 interventions by 6:00 p.m. In Walloon Picardy, around ten firefighter teams were mobilized for various interventions, though no casualties were reported by 9:30 p.m.

Emergency plan triggered in Aiseau-Presles

The municipality of Aiseau-Presles in Hainaut activated its communal emergency plan late Saturday afternoon due to the severe weather. Mayor Dominique Grenier confirmed that runoff water caused flooding in several locations across the commune. Firefighters were deployed to respond, though the mayor noted that the Biesme river had not overflowed its banks. The situation underscored the localized but intense nature of the flooding, driven by overwhelming surface water rather than river breaches.

Roads closed and drivers rescued

Flooding caused significant disruption on major roads. The N90 was inundated at Châtelineau and closed in both directions; one person had to be rescued after becoming trapped in their vehicle by rapidly rising water. At Farciennes, the N568 towards the N90 was also flooded and closed. On the N90 at Seraing near Grâce-Hollogne, the right and middle lanes were obstructed by water. On the A54 near Jumet-Est towards Brussels, a fallen tree blocked the road. The outer ring road of Brussels was flooded at Ophain towards Zaventem, forcing a closure and diversion via exit 23. The federal police warned of dangerous conditions across the affected areas.

Fire chief issues dire warning

Marc Gilbert, president of the Royal Federation of Belgian Firefighters and colonel of the Val de Sambre rescue zone, issued a stark warning about the service's capacity to handle such events. He stated that firefighters are 'totally helpless' in the face of these weather phenomena and linked the increasing frequency directly to climate change.

With global warming, we are going to experience this kind of situation more and more often.

Gilbert highlighted the structural weaknesses of a force where 12,500 of 17,500 firefighters are volunteers. He recounted that on Saturday night, he recalled personnel to reinforce teams, but many were unavailable—some at the seaside, others registered for the 20 km of Brussels race. He managed to assemble over 60 firefighters but said at least ten more were needed to meet real needs in a timely manner. He called for rescue zones of a 'human scale' with sufficient staff and criticized defense spending priorities.

Rather than buying F-35s, we should equip rescue zones with the resources they really need. Billions are spent on Defense, while we firefighters are totally helpless, especially in the face of these weather phenomena.

His comments evoked the memory of the July 2021 floods in Liège province, which claimed around forty lives despite firefighters' efforts.

Weather outlook and ongoing vigilance

The IRM downgraded the orange warning to a yellow warning for Sunday morning, with localized thunderstorms still possible and a risk of hail and strong gusts. Sunday was expected to see some showers or storms in the east early on, then variable but mostly dry conditions. Monday should be largely dry with sun and clouds, with temperatures between 19 and 24 degrees. From Tuesday, more variable weather with regular showers and possible thunderstorms is forecast, with temperatures gradually cooling to below 20 degrees by Friday. The regional expertise unit convened on Saturday afternoon to assess watercourse levels and warned of further storms with heavy localized rainfall and potential runoff, urging the public to exercise the utmost caution.