Peak of the heatwave so far in Belgium on Wednesday - but no absolute
records broken: 37.4°C was recorded at Brussels Uccle in 1947.

The Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute's prediction for today included
the highest max. temps ever included in one of their forecasts - up to
40°C in the east of the country - but that figure looks unlikely to be
reached now.

Fairly widespread thundery skies this morning - brief showers of varying
intensity reported in Flanders with thunder in a number of places.

Very little sunshine in Brussels so far - temp. now only 23°C after 26°C
earlier this morning http://weather.noaa.gov/weather/current/EBBR.html

Belgium on Wednesday

Tuesday night's min. temps ranged between 12.4°C at Elsenborn at 564 m asl
in the Hautes Fagnes and 21.1°C at St Hubert at 563 m asl in the Ardennes.

Wednesday was sunny and oppressively hot - max. temps mostly 35 to 36°C or
over. No sea breeze so these temperatures were even noted on the coast -
34°C on Ostend Pier (!) and 35.6°C at Ostend Airport.

Sites reporting over 36°C

Kleine Brogel 36.1°C, Brasschaat (north of Antwerp) and Koksijde 36.2°C,
Kortrijk (SW Flanders) and Kapelle o/d Bos (north of Brussels) 36.4°C,
Chièvres (near Mons) 36.5°C, Charleroi and Genk (Limburg) 36.6°C,
Florennes and Rijmenam (NE of Brussels) 36.7°C.

Areas of altocumulus floccus and castellanus observed later in the afternoon
and evening with a few big drops from high-level showers reaching the ground
around Ghent and in one or two other places in West Flanders.

Colin Youngs
Brussels

"Colin Youngs" schreef in bericht
...
Peak of the heatwave so far in Belgium on Wednesday - but no absolute
records broken: 37.4°C was recorded at Brussels Uccle in 1947.

snip Our low-lands seem to be rather hot today, Colin.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/Rdtlmett.gif

Here the mercury has just reached 32.5 C -- but is still raising quickly;
bit hazy some cirrus.

Wijke
SE Flevopolder; Centre of the Netherlands

| The Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute's prediction for today included
| the highest max. temps ever included in one of their forecasts - up to
| 40°C in the east of the country - but that figure looks unlikely to be
| reached now.

I read in the paper that 40C has been the highest temperature ever in
forecast since forecasts began in Belgium.

Yannis.