Temperatures recorded on Tuesday broke 30 degrees Celcius in Belgium, in what meteorology officials reported was the third heatwave to hit the country since June.
The Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) said that with temperatures steadily climbing from the 26.6 degrees Celcius recorded on Friday to settle in the low thirties at the weekend, the hot spell going through Belgium could be qualified as a heatwave.
Temperatures must remain above 25 degrees Celcius for five consecutive days and be above 30 for three days in a row for a heatwave to be declared.
The IRM said that it was rare for three heatwaves to be declared in a single year, following the heat episodes of June and July.
Both heatwaves put Belgium through 13 days of extreme heat, and saw the country's all-time highest temperature record tumble, after the mercury hit 39.7 degrees Celcius on July 25.
Last year, two heatwaves hit the country in July and August during a combined 25 days, and in 1947, Belgium was hit by four different heatwaves for a total of 46 days of scorching temperatures.
Here's where you can find drinking fountains in Brussels during the heatwave.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
