The Met Office expects a lot of rain in a short spell of time in many places in Belgium in the late afternoon and tonight with hail and in some places very heavy gusts that may cause material damage.
Heavy rain across Belgium: amber weather warning in central and eastern parts
Colin Clapson
Published:
Updated:
The Met Office has declared an amber code weather warning in the Flemish provinces of Antwerp, Limburg and Flemish Brabant and in Brussels. The amber warning also applies in the Walloon provinces of Hainaut, Namur and Walloon Brabant.
Fallen trees are already causing havoc to traffic in Flemish Brabant. A fallen tree has brought traffic on the anti-clockwise greater Brussels orbital to a standstill.
Flooding is reported from the Belliardstraat, a central thoroughfare, as well as in many other streets across the capital.
In Brussels parks and woods closed from 5pm.
Parks across the Brussels region, nature areas and forests, including the Sonian Forest, will be closed from 5pm this evening until tomorrow morning by order of the Brussels Environment agency.
"Taking into account gusts of wind of at least 80 km/h, public access to the regional parks, nature reserves and forests, including the Sonian Forest, will be restricted from Tuesday at 5pm," the agency says.
Notices are being posted at the entrances and park rangers will inform the public. The environment agency advises people not to go near trees.
Outside the capital
Our video (top) shows the first rain on the coast.
In Antwerp Province provincial nature reserves are being closed in Antwerp, Mol and the Kempen District.
In Hasselt (Limburg) France-Spain will not be shown on the large screen in the Euros fan village. Fan villages in Sint-Niklaas (East Flanders) and Lanaken (Limburg) too will remain closed.
Concert and dance events in Hasselt and Genk (Limburg) are being abandoned.