The IRM has been announcing for several days a wave of thunderstorms over the period from Wednesday to Friday. Pascal Mormal, climatologist at the IRM, gave us some details on this common phenomenon at this time of year.
This area of stormy precipitation is linked to the high heat, humidity and instability that currently prevails.“We are totally entering the ‘season’ of thunderstorms. In our country, the majority of thunderstorms occur between May and September. They are more frequent and more active there, the climatic conditions of these periods are also more conducive to thunderstorms” he says.
The stormy area, which comes from France, will start in the west of the country. “Storms could start already this evening, in some parts of the country. Rainfall will be quite light this Wednesdayanalyzes Pascal Mormal before deciphering the following days. The heaviest flow is expected to occur from Thursday afternoon and evening. This could continue into Friday morning.”
Thereafter, the precipitation should calm down significantly. The weekend should be quiet and cooler. Then we should find the seasonal averages around 18°C, according to the climatologist.
For Pascal Mormal, it is currently difficult to establish a precise map of the areas most affected by the storm. “A priori Brussels should do rather well. According to current forecasts, the coastal region and the Kempen could be more severely affected by the rains. Everything can still change…”
Will there be flooding in areas more vulnerable to rain? “It is possible that some badly located places will experience light flooding. But for now it is quite difficult to predict with precision. our soils in need of rain”.
These storms were also expected from a statistical point of view. “We are currently in storm deficit. Only 4 recorded for a period when we generally expect 11 storms”, admits Pascal Mormal.
The IRM places the country on yellow alert this Thursday due to thunderstorms
The Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) has issued a yellow alert for Thursday due to an area of thundery showers. The latter will first approach the west of the country in the second part of the night from Wednesday to Thursday before spreading to other regions during the afternoon. Thereafter, thunderstorms will give way to dry weather. The IRM specifies that in the event of heavy rain, accumulations of 10 to 20 l / m² will be possible, as well as gusts of wind that can reach 70 km / h. There is also a risk of hail, especially in the east of the country.
Reminder in case of thunderstorms
When these phenomena occur, certain accidents may occur. The climatologist reminds us of some advice so as not to suffer any damage. “It may be a good idea to unplug household appliances that are potentially exposed to the outside, does it start before discussing situations outside the home, it is better to avoid walks or hikes in nature. If you want to take shelter, it is better to stay in a fairly dense forest than to take refuge under the only tree in a field.” he concludes.