Weather warnings have been issued across the country ahead of the arrival of a storm that could reach 100km/h on Friday.
The Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) has warned of worsening weather conditions across Belgium, with strong winds forecast on Wednesday evening to Thursday before Storm Austen tracks across the country on Friday.
The RMI has issued a code orange weather warning for Friday in the provinces of East Flanders, West Flanders and Hainaut.
Initially, the orange warning applied only to the coast, with code yellow in force across the rest of the country. Storm Austen is expected to reach Belgium on Friday afternoon and evening. A separate warning has also been issued for heavy rainfall.
Code yellow warning for rainfall will be in force from 05:00 on Friday until 05:00 on Saturday. Under code yellow conditions, between 25 and 50 litres of rain per square metre could fall within 24 hours.
Wind speeds could reach 60 km/h in western Belgium and 75 km/h along the coast on Wednesday. Conditions are expected to deteriorate further on Friday, when the RMI forecasts heavy rainfall and strong winds, with gusts potentially reaching between 80 and 100 km/h.
Code yellow remains in place for the other provinces for the time being.
Belgium's Federal Public Service Interior activated the 1722 emergency assistance number on Wednesday following warnings of strong winds, heavy rainfall, possible flooding in the coming days, and potentially dangerous conditions.
The 1722 number has been activated for people requiring assistance from the fire brigade following storm damage or flooding. Where possible, residents are encouraged to submit requests through the online platform www.1722.be rather than calling.
People facing immediate danger should continue to call 112.
The measure aims to prevent emergency call centres from becoming overwhelmed and ensure that people facing life-threatening situations can receive immediate assistance.
The emergency number 112 remains available for life-threatening situations.
