2023 confirmed as third warmest year on record in Belgium
The Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) announced on New Year's Day that 2023 was the third warmest year in Belgium since observations began in 1833. It also had above-average sunshine and was the fourth wettest year in the current reference period (1991-2020).
In 2023, the average temperature at the RMI observation centre in Uccle, Brussels, was 12.1 degrees Celsius. Normally it is 11.0 degrees. This was the third time on record that the average temperature exceeded 12 degrees, ranking it third behind the record years of 2020 and 2022 (12.2 degrees). The top five are completed by 2014 and 2018 (11.9 degrees).
With the exception of April, July and August, average temperatures were above normal in every month. New monthly records for this parameter were set in June and September.
A total of 1,011.4 mm of rain fell in Uccle (normal: 837.1 mm), with rain falling on 207 days (normal: 189.8 days). With this amount of precipitation, 2023 ranks fourth after 2001 (1,088.5 mm), 2002 (1,077.8 mm) and 2021 (1,038.8 mm).
In total, the sun shone in Uccle for 1,610 hours and 19 minutes last year (normal: 1,603 hours and 40 minutes). However, only four months were sunnier than average: February, May, June and September.
According to the World Meteorological Organisation, 2023 will be the warmest year on a planetary scale since observations began in the 1860s.
The Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) in Uccle, Brussels © BELGA PHOTO BENOIT DOPPAGNE
Related news
