2023-06-13 11:29:00
The heat wave that we are experiencing comes quite early in the year. This phenomenon is more and more common, but not necessarily at the beginning of June. This wave is also likely to be among the longest. Back in figures on previous records.
In 1998 (8-14 May), the beaches of the Belgian coast were taken by storm. It was the earliest heat wave ever recorded in Belgium. In the capital, tram rails have melted and become deformed. A period of high heat that lasted 5 days.
In the ranking, the heat wave that is settling in Belgium at the moment is the fourth earliest. The second dates from 1922 (21-25 May), the third from 1947 (29 May – 4 June).
“What we generally observe is that the periods of heat are earlier and earlier. Often more and more lasting and also marked by intensities at the level of increasingly high maximum temperatures. So sometimes , very hot temperatures can still be encountered until October”explains Pascal Mormal, climatologist at the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM).
The heat wave is now in its sixth day. An already important period but far behind the records. On images dating from August 21, 1997, dead leaves on the ground had been observed. Typical fall scenes. This heat wave lasted 16 days, three of which exceeded 30 degrees, just three days from the absolute record of 1947.
“You should know that in July 2018, we had a sequence of ten days and then a sequence of 15 days. They were interrupted just by a day when the temperatures had dropped slightly below the threshold of 25 degrees. Otherwise, we would have had 26 consecutive days in July 2018”, says Pascal Mormal.
High temperatures and several explanations. “The formation of anticyclones which last longer than in the past. This allows the earth to warm up thanks to the sun. There is also obviously global warming, sometimes the direction of the wind”, adds David Dehenauw, meteorologist at the IRM.
Remains an unknown now: to know how long the temperatures will exceed 25 degrees daily in Uccle.
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