Climate - Belgium

Index

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• Introduction
• The seasons
• Best Time
• What to pack

Introduction

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The climate of Belgium is cool and wet because it is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, especially on the coast and the plain. In the south-eastern regions (Ardennes), which are located at higher altitudes as well as at a greater distance from the sea, the climate is more continental, and also more unstable in summer.
Precipitation is frequent, but not particularly abundant. The coastal area is less rainy, and it is also slightly sunnier than the interior: precipitation amounts to 700 millimeters (27.5 inches) per year in Ostend, located on the coast, to 825 mm (32.5 in) in Brussels, a hundred kilometers (60 miles) away from the coast, and to 1,100 mm (43 in) in Spa, in the Ardennes. Here is the average precipitation in Brussels, the capital.

The seasons

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Winter is cold on the coast, but not freezing. The average temperature in February (which is, albeit slightly, the coldest month on the coast) is about 4 °C (39 °F). Sunshine is rare and the rains are frequent. Here are the average temperatures in Ostend.

Proceeding towards the interior, the temperature gradually decreases. The rains are frequent here as well.
In the Ardennes, the winter is colder, both because of the altitude and because of the greater distance from the sea. In Bastogne, Spa and Saint-Hubert, approximately 500 meters (1,600 feet) above sea level, the average January temperature drops to about 0 °C (32 °F), and snow often falls instead of rain. Here are the average temperatures in Saint-Hubert.

Apart from the average temperatures, in winter, the weather in Belgium varies depending on meteorological condition. The coldest days occur when the normal flow of Atlantic currents is arrested and is replaced by cold air masses from Eastern Europe: in these cases, the temperature drops below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F), and snow can fall throughout the country. During the coldest winters, the temperature can drop to around -15 °C (5 °F).
On the contrary, when the westerlies get stronger, the temperature can become mild even in winter, above 10 °C (50 °F), but sometimes, there can be strong winds and even storm surges.
At other times, when a high pressure system moves over the country, a phenomenon quite rare but not impossible, the weather becomes cold and gray, and fog and low clouds can form.



Summer is pretty cool on the coast, with maximum temperatures reaching 21/22 °C (68/72 °F) in July and August. Cloudy and rainy days, brought by Atlantic fronts, can occur in Belgium even in this season.
In inland areas, the weather in summer is slightly warmer: in Brussels, the daily average in July is about 18.5 °C (65.5 °F), with highs about 23.5 °C (74 °F), but here too, hot days are rare. The rains are more frequent because of the higher chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Here are the average temperatures in Brussels.

As we said, the temperatures in the Ardennes are slightly lower than in the plains. Afternoon thunderstorms are even more frequent.
Sometimes, Belgium can be reached by hot air masses, which can raise the temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F). These hot spells are becoming more frequent due to global warming. In July 2019, the temperature reached 37 °C (98.5 °F) in Spa, 39 °C (102 °F) in Ostend and 40 °C (104 °F) in Brussels.
Even in mid-summer (July-August), the sea in Belgium is cold: the water temperature is around 16 °C (61 °F) in July and 18 °C (64 °F) in August.

Spring and autumn are cool and cloudy seasons. It can be still cold in March and in the first half of April, and sometimes even in early May, with highs around 10 °C (50 °F). Spring, however, is not as rainy as autumn, and it's the (relatively) driest season of the year. Autumn can be windy and gray, especially on the coast.

Best Time

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The best time to visit Belgium is from mid-May to mid-September: the temperatures are mild, the sky is often cloudy, but the percentage of sunshine is not so low. The mid-summer period (July-August) is relatively warm, but it's also the rainiest because of afternoon thunderstorms that can form especially in inland areas.
As regards to the other seasons, while it is true that weather extremes in Belgium are rare, late autumn (November) is dark and rainy, while in winter, it can sometimes be very cold or windy.

What to pack

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In winter: bring warm clothing, a sweater, a coat, a wind jacket, an umbrella, and possibly a warm hat and gloves for colder periods.
In summer: bring light clothes, but also some clothes for spring and autumn: a shirt, a jacket, a sweatshirt or sweater, and a raincoat or umbrella.

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