2023 was the third warmest year in Belgium
2023 will be the third warmest year on record in Belgium, according to the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (RMI). Their annual climatological review reported these findings.
The RMI expects the average temperature to reach 12.1 degrees this year. Only in 2020 and 2022 was it warmer when temperatures averaged 12.2 degrees. The average minimum temperature did match the 2014 record of 8.5 degrees.
2023 was a wetter-than-average year, with an expected total rainfall of 989.2 mm. In the last 30 years, only three years were wetter: 2001 (1088.5 mm), 2002 (1077.8 mm) and 2021 (1038.8 mm).
However, there were also prolonged droughts—the second longest since observations began in 1892. Not a drop of precipitation fell in Uccle between 16 May and 16 June. Only in 2007 did the RMI record an even longer period without rainfall.
June and September were exceptionally warm months. In June, the RMI recorded an average temperature above 20 degrees for the first time, and another first for June was when temperatures did not fall below 10 degrees. There were 17 days with a maximum temperature of at least 25 degrees. Between 4 and 11 September, the first-ever heatwave in Belgium occurred with temperatures reaching at least 30 degrees.
The number of snow days was limited, with five in Uccle.
©BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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