What will be the coldest week of 2023 has got under way. Between now and next weekend day-time temperatures will not reach any higher than 4°C anywhere in the country. Monday night will see temperatures fall to a very cold -5°C in coastal areas and -10°C in the Ardennes, making tonight the coldest night so far in 2022. On Sunday evening the Royal Meteorological Institute KMI issued a Code Yellow warning for slippery condition on the roads.
Home News
The “coldest week of year”, temperatures set to fall to -10°C on Monday night
Published:
The Flemish Roads and Traffic Agency has treated the roads in all 5 Flemish Provinces. However, no weather-related disruption to traffic is expected.
There was a sharp frost everywhere in Belgium on Sunday night. The VRT’s weatherman Frank Deboosere explains that “A dry, but cold stream of land air caused temperatures to be freezing cold this morning. It was -3°C in West Flanders, -4C° in central areas and as low as -9°C in upland areas of Belgium".
Roads treated, no disruption to rail services
The Flemish Highways and Traffic Agency dispatched gritter lorries to treat roads in all 5 Flemish Provinces. The Agency’s Katrien Kiekens told VRT News that “We have gritted both main roads that are maintained by the region and motorways. No precipitation is expected so the chance that things will become slippery is limited. We will remain on the alert and will treat the roads again if necessary”.
Rail service have not (yet) been impacted by the freezing temperatures. The Belgian rail company NMBS told VRT News that “In order to prevent any issues from occurring we've kept the locomotives that were due to enter service first thing in the morning connected to the high-tension power supply all night. Inside the carriages temperatures are being kept at a minimum level and we are being extra vigilant”.
"Deep freeze temperatures"
The rest of the week will remain bitterly cold. However, the VRT’s weatherman Frank Deboosere warns that any ice that has formed on rivers, lakes and ponds is definitely not safe to skate on.
Meanwhile, air quality this week will remain poor.