Belgium's 1722 emergency assistance number was activated on Wednesday after the Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) issued yellow warnings for heavy rain and strong winds, the Interior Ministry said.
The 1722 service is activated during severe weather to prevent non-urgent calls from overwhelming the 112 emergency lines, and is used to request assistance from the fire brigade for damage caused by storms or flooding.
An active rain system will move into Belgium from the French border during the second half of Wednesday afternoon, bringing particularly heavy rainfall to the south-east of the country.
A yellow rain warning is in place for the provinces of Liège, Namur and Luxembourg from 16:00 on Wednesday until 18:00 on Thursday. A yellow wind warning will also apply along the Belgian coast from 18:00 on Wednesday until 16:00 on Thursday.
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Thunderstorms are also possible in the evening and early night. The rain system is expected to move eastwards out of Belgium on Thursday morning, but regular showers will continue throughout the day.
Between 25 and 35 mm of rain is expected south of the Sambre and Meuse rivers over the entire period, with local totals potentially reaching 40 to 50 mm.
At the coast, wind gusts could reach 70 to 85 km/h on Wednesday evening and Thursday.
The Interior Ministry said the 1722 website remains the quickest way to request assistance from the fire brigade, although the service can also be reached by telephone.
People facing a life-threatening emergency should continue to call 112.
