No hot summer weather in August

31 July 2007

BRUSSELS – The meteorological institute KMI predicts a pleasant start to August but does not expect any exceptionally warm summer weather. The month of July was normal in terms of temperature, but there was more precipitation than usual.

July was a gloomy summer month despite the normal temperatures, says Luc Debontridder of the Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI). Temperatures hovered around the normal July average of 17.1 and there were even a few days hotter than 25 degrees, especially in the Kempen area. The number of hours of sunshine was also in keeping with the monthly average for July.

Debontridder says July seemed gloomy because people instinctively compare it with the same month last year, which was the warmest month on record. “It is only logical that catering establishments on the coast are complaining about income of up to 10 percent less than last year. You shouldn’t compare this summer to last year’s. This is a typical Belgian summer.”

The month of July was wetter than usual however, mainly because of the heavy rainfall in parts of the country on 16, 21 and 23 July. 180 to 200 litres of water fell per square metre in the province of West-Vlaanderen over the month. Poperinge was hit with the heaviest rain on 23 July, when 87.7 litres of water fell per square metre in a 24-hour period. The average for the whole month of July usually only comes to 60 to 70 litres (per square metre).

Subject: Belgian news