Ex-hurricane Kirk is due to reach Belgium today and could trigger a lot of rain, especially in the southeast of the country. The Met Office has declared a code yellow weather warning for Brussels and the provinces of Limburg, Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Hainaut until tomorrow morning. Further rain is expected in Namur, Liège and Luxembourg Province and an amber code is in force there. The exact course of the storm is being closely monitored by weather forecasters.
Ex-hurricane Kirk is heading towards Europe. After crossing the northern coast of Spain and France, the storm will next reach Belgium and the Netherlands, before moving on to Germany.
At its maximum strength, Kirk was a Category 4 hurricane, with wind speeds of up to 230 kilometres per hour. Now, from subtropical regions, it is heading in our direction. On its way to Europe, Kirk will weaken markedly, but the storm could still be severe.
Worst wind down south
Kirk's exact path is still somewhat uncertain, but it is expected to reach the northern Spanish coast first and make landfall in France immediately afterwards. This afternoon, Kirk will be over the Gulf of Biscaye. By that time, it is already raining in Belgium.
As things stand, the eye of the storm passes over Flanders. The heaviest winds are for areas further south. In France, they are preparing for gale force winds on the Atlantic coast and inland, in south-eastern departments.
Possible code red weather warning for Luxembourg Province
As for the rain, according to the Met Office, the south-eastern half of Belgium will feel the full brunt the storm. In Brussels and in the provinces of Limburg, Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Hainaut, persistent rain could cause 25 to 50 millimetres of rainfall in 24 hours. A code yellow is in force there.
In the provinces of Namur and Liège, 50 to 80 millimetres may fall in a single day, justifying an amber code warning.
In the province of Luxembourg, up to 100 millimetres of rain or slightly more could fall in only 24 hours possibly warranting a code red warning. By comparison, 70 mm (or 70 litres of water per square metre) is roughly the equivalent to the rainfall in Brussels on an average month. A code red may be declared later today.
North-western tracts will be spared the worst of the storm. No weather warning code is in force for Antwerp, East Flanders or West Flanders.
Possible flooding
To stay informed about possible local flooding, keep an eye on the websites waterinfo.be (Flanders) and hydrometrie.wallonie.be (Wallonia).
Calmer weather on Friday and Saturday
Kirk will move relatively quickly towards Germany, causing winds to turn to the northwest. Rain leaves the country on Thursday, at the end of the night or early morning. At first, showers entering the country from over the North Sea will follow, but later it will become drier.
From Friday onwards, things will calm down on the weather charts. It will be mainly dry, but a lot cooler with highs in central parts of up to 12 degrees. Saturday too will remain calm, dry and chilly.