March was exceptionally dry and sunny. At the Uccle measuring station, which is a reference, the sun shone more than in an average summer month, according to the monthly climate report from the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) on Friday.
During the month of March, the sun shone no less than 227 hours and 14 minutes in Uccle ( once morest a normal value of 125 hours and 45 minutes). For a month of March, this is a sunshine record since 1931. At that time, the sun had shone in Uccle for 213 hours and 49 minutes.
The MRI did not record any days of completely overcast skies, whereas normally the month of March has an average of five. Rain was also exceptionally rare. Only 2.2 mm of precipitation fell in four days in Uccle ( once morest a normal value of 59.3 mm in 15 days), which constitutes a new absolute record. The previous one – at 4.2mm – dates back to 1993.
In several places in the country (notably in Campine and Brabant), the IRM recorded less than 1 mm of precipitation during the first 30 days of March. In Uccle, temperatures varied between -2.7°C and 19.8°C.
The average temperature was more than 1°C higher than normal, at 8.6°C. In the rest of the country, the mercury fluctuated between -8°C in Crupet (Namur) and 21.6°C in Begijnendijk (Flemish Brabant).
Coldest April 1 since 1892
This April 1st also goes down in history. The mercury did not exceed 2.7°C this Friday at the Uccle weather station, which is a reference. This makes it the coldest April 1 on record since daily record measurements began, IRM weather forecasting chief David Dehenauw said on Twitter. The previous record dates back to 1963. At that time, it was 3.1°C.
Forecasts for the coming days
This Friday night, the situation will not change much with a risk of sometimes still winter showers, and some snowfall on the relief. During the night, light snowfall may persist south of the Sambre and Meuse furrow. A few showers or sleet from the North Sea may also reach the coast. Elsewhere, the weather will become dry. The cloudiness will be rather variable on the western half and abundant in the east. Poor visibility is to be feared on the Hautes Fagnes with a risk of frost formation. The minima will be between -6 degrees in the upper Ardennes (or even less in the snowy valleys), -1 to -2 degrees in the plain and +2 degrees at the sea. The wind will become weak to often moderate, generally from north to north -East.
Saturday, partly cloudy skies are expected over the northwestern half and very cloudy over the southeastern part. The coast and the Ardennes will still have to deal with some low precipitation, winter on the relief. In the followingnoon, a downpour may also occur very locally elsewhere. The tendency for showers will decrease in the evening over all regions. The maxima will oscillate between -1 degree in Hautes-Fagnes and +7 degrees in the west. The wind will generally be moderate, on the moderate coast then quite strong, from the north-northeast.
The night from Saturday to Sunday, the sky will gradually clear and the northerly wind will weaken. Temperatures will dip towards values close to 0 degrees or slightly positive at sea, around -3 degrees in the center, down to -10 degrees in the Ardennes (even even less in certain valleys).
Sunday morning, the weather will be cold with frosts practically everywhere. We first expect large sunny spells in most regions, but already a possibility of some (winter) showers in the far west and north-west of the country. During the day, the sky will become changeable everywhere, and even sometimes very cloudy in places. The risk of a few showers will persist in the west and northwest of the territory, while the weather will remain generally dry elsewhere. The maximum will be between 1 degree in Hautes-Fagnes and 7 or 8 degrees in the center. The wind will be weak to often moderate from north to northwest.
Monday, the sky will become very cloudy with periods of rain starting from the northwest. The weather will initially still be dry in the south-east of the country. On the heights of the Ardennes, melting snow will still be possible. The maximum will be around 2 degrees in Hautes-Fagnes, 7 or 8 degrees in the center, and 9 degrees in the extreme west of the territory. The wind will be moderate to fairly strong, and sometimes strong on the coast, from the south-westerly sector, with gusts that can reach up to 65 km/h.
Mardi, the sky will also be very cloudy with periods of rain. It will be noticeably milder with highs of 7 degrees in Hautes-Fagnes to locally 13 degrees in the west of the country. The wind will be moderate, and fairly strong on the coast, from the westerly sector.