With temperatures climbing up to 42°C, Spain and Portugal have already been feeling the effects of the latest heatwave that is expected to also reach Belgium next week.
While Belgium will likely not have to suffer through temperatures over 40 degrees, the City of Brussels has announced that it is activating its heatwave plan for this week to offer help to those most at risk of health complications due to the heat.
Once temperatures hit 28°C, neighbourhood centres will check on the health of people who have been identified as particularly vulnerable to the heat, announced Philippe Close, the Mayor of the City of Brussels.
"Every citizen can show solidarity with our elderly: a phone call, a ring of the bell, a report to our services are valuable gestures to ensure the health of our elderly and to fight against isolation," he said.
The city also offered the usual advice: drinking a lot of water (even when not thirsty), moving less, avoiding alcohol and keeping the house cool by shutting the curtains until the evening.
The temperatures are predicted to surpass 30°C at the beginning of next week, with a possible high of 38°C on Tuesday 19 July.
How will you cope with the high temperatures? Let @Maajtee know.
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your lunch break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. European heatwave to engulf Belgium in next few weeks
As Belgium expects another heatwave, the City of Brussels has announced that it is activating its heatwave plan for this week, offering help to those most at risk of health complications due to the heat. Read more.
2. Refresher: What to do when you test positive for Covid-19
After a long period of decreasing cases and next to no restrictions in place, Covid-19 infection cases are going up again. Here is a refresher of what the procedure is when you test positive in Belgium. Read more.
3. Why were so many military helicopters spotted over Brussels yesterday?
Many military helicopters and airplanes have been spotted flying over Brussels on Tuesday, prompting many residents to take to social media to find out why. Read more.
4. Salah Abdeslam transferred to Belgium for another trial from September
Salah Abdeslam was released from the Fleury-Mérogis Prison (Essonne, France) Wednesday morning, as he will be transferred to Belgium, where he will be tried for the terrorist attacks in Brussels in March 2016, according to sources close to the matter. Read more.
5. Fake news still reaching over one quarter of Europeans
Trust in the news is plummeting and many continue to be exposed to largely unregulated disinformation and fake news. But for the EU citizens who do read the news, traditional media are still the most trusted sources, according to an EU barometer. Read more.
6. Belgian Deputy Prime Minister goes viral on TikTok
Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter has shared a video on the popular social media platform TikTok, which has gone viral and received as many as 1.2 million views at the time of writing. Read more.
7. Hidden Belgium: How Flanders gained its spurs
On the 11th of July 1302, the Battle of the Golden Spurs was fought outside the city walls of Kortrijk. Read more.
