Weather locations in Belgium

Belgium sits in the path of the North Atlantic weather systems and has the mild, damp, changeable climate typical of north-west Europe. Its position inland from the English Channel, however, makes it noticeably more continental than places further west at the same latitude.

Main climate types

The whole country is classified as temperate maritime, with high humidity and no dry season. Western Flanders, right on the coast, is the most marine: gales come off the North Sea in winter and the temperature barely varies through the year. The east and the Meuse and Ourthe valleys are slightly more continental, with warmer summers and cooler nights, while the High Ardenne above 500 metres behaves like a small upland region of cool summers and heavy snow.

Temperatures

Brussels averages about 4 degrees in January and 18 degrees in July, with extremes rarely far outside a degree or two of those figures. Winter days along the coast often peak near 6 to 8 degrees, while clear nights drop slightly below freezing. Hot spells above 30 degrees happen most summers, especially in the east, and are usually followed within days by a drop of 10 degrees or more as Atlantic air returns.

Rainfall

Rainfall totals around 800 millimetres a year along the coast, rising to more than 1,300 millimetres on the High Ardenne plateau. It is well spread through the year, though late winter and early spring tend to be the driest and summer thunderstorms can deliver a month's rain in an afternoon. Sunshine amounts are modest, fewer than 1,600 hours in most of the country and around 1,000 in the hilly Ardennes.

When to go

Spring and early summer bring long bright spells, especially inland and along the Meuse valleys, and are a good time for walking in the Ardennes. July and August are the warmest and usually the sunniest months on the coast. Winter draws skiers to a small number of Ardennes resorts, and the lowland towns are worth seeing in the run-up to Christmas.