Forecasts for the next 36 hours
(chart)
(These forecasts are usually updated daily)
Weather Update – 30 December 2025 | 7 am
(BMCB multimodel: ICON-D2 · AROME-HD · ALADIN)
The next 36 hours will be generally calm, marked by a mix of bright spells, periods of more persistent cloud, and frequent fog formation, especially inland. Precipitation totals will remain low and unevenly distributed.
Expected rainfall totals (36 hrs)
- North of the Scheldt: 0 to 2.5 l/m²
- Between the Scheldt and the Sambre–Meuse: 0 to 0.5 l/m²
- South of the Sambre–Meuse: 0 to 1 l/m²
Today
This morning, conditions will be fairly bright with wide sunny spells. In Flanders, the sky will be more changeable, with passing cloud at times.
Light winds, variable or from north to north-east, with gusts of 10 to 25 km/h.
This afternoon, sunny spells will continue across much of the country, though cloud will remain more persistent over Flanders.
North to north-easterly winds, gusting 15 to 30 km/h.
Maximum temperatures: around 6°C along the coast, 4 to 7°C across inland lowlands, and –1 to +3°C in the Ardennes.
During the evening, local fog patches will develop, especially over the Kempen and across central and northern parts of the Ardennes. The sky will turn more variable, with a slight risk of light showers in West Flanders.
Winds variable or north to north-east, 5 to 25 km/h, locally up to 30 km/h along the coast.
Overnight, some fog will linger inland, becoming more widespread over the north-western Ardennes. Skies will remain cloudy to variable, with a small risk of light showers, mainly over Flanders.
Winds variable or north to north-west, 5 to 25 km/h.
Minimum temperatures: around 5°C at the coast, –3 to +2°C inland, generally –3 to –1°C south of the Sambre–Meuse, but locally falling to –4 to –10°C in sheltered valleys.
Tomorrow
In the morning, locally persistent fog will affect the north and west of the Ardennes. Elsewhere, skies will be variable with sunny intervals, though cloud will be more widespread south of the Meuse and across Flanders and the Antwerp region, where a slight risk of light showers remains.
Westerly to north-westerly winds of 10 to 30 km/h, lighter and variable (5 to 10 km/h) over the south of Luxembourg province.
In the afternoon, sunshine will become dominant across western Hainaut, both Flanders and the Antwerp region. Elsewhere, skies will remain cloudy to very cloudy, with a risk of showers over Limburg and the Liège area. Above 200 to 400 metres, some light snowfall may occur.
Westerly to north-westerly winds of 10 to 30 km/h.
Maximum temperatures: around 6°C near the coast, 3 to 7°C inland, and –1 to +2°C in the Ardennes.
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National Thermal Indicator
(Chart)
MULTIMODEL BMCB
(These forecasts are generally updated daily)
Update: 29 December 2025 | 11 a.m.
Winter conditions remain firmly in place across the country. Until 2 January, the national thermal index is expected to range between –1 and –3, corresponding to daytime temperatures of roughly –1 to +6 °C across Belgium. Night-time minima will generally lie between –5 and +2 °C, but during calm and clear nights, particularly south of the Sambre–Meuse axis, temperatures may drop significantly lower, with local values between –5 and –10 °C.
From 3 to 9 January, the cooling trend is set to intensify slightly. The thermal index will decline further to between –3 and –5, while daytime maxima will often be limited to –3 to +4 °C. Minimum temperatures will usually range from –7 to 0 °C, but may fall even lower in the south-eastern valleys under clear skies and light winds.
Looking further ahead, a potential shift in the pattern is emerging. According to the BMCB multi-model guidance, a gradual rise in temperatures is now being considered after 9 January, with the thermal index possibly turning positive again beyond 11 January — a development that still requires confirmation.
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General Weather Evolution for the Next Days
Europe: Analysis & Forecast maps (6=>? days)
Update – 30 December 2025 | 11 a.m.
Along the eastern flank of a strong anticyclone, with central pressure values ranging between 1030 and 1036 hPa and stretching on 31 December from the British Isles towards southern Greenland, a flow of cool polar air is spreading across the region. This air mass will gradually lose its stability, paving the way for a succession of showers, bringing rain, sleet or wet snow at lower levels, while snowfall becomes more established over the higher ground of the Ardennes.
This deterioration is driven by the approach of a deep low-pressure system, with a core pressure of around 973–974 hPa, settling over southern Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea. Although this system is expected to slowly fill in situ from 3 January onwards, its influence will persist. A secondary low over the North Sea will then take over, maintaining unsettled conditions within the polar air mass through to the coming weekend, as the air gradually turns a little colder.
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Forecast for the coming days
(Chart)
Multimodel BMCB ( OPERATIONAL + ENSEMBLES ICON-GFS-ECMWF-AIFS-GCGFS )
Forecast of the range of temperatures, precipitations + general type of weather in Belgium
(These forecasts are usually updated daily)
Weather Update –30 December 2025 | 12:00
Overview of the expected weather evolution
based on the BMCB multimodel system (operational models and ICON – AIFS – ECMWF ensembles)
The turn of the year will be shaped by predominantly cold, unsettled and increasingly wintry conditions. Periods of precipitation, spells of brisk wind and a growing risk of snowfall — especially at higher elevations — will define this pattern.
Thursday, 1 January, marks an initial transition. Under a variable to mostly cloudy sky, showers will gradually develop, at times falling as sleet or light snow above 300 m. Overnight, precipitation becomes more widespread, with snow in the Ardennes above 400–500 m. A noticeable west to south-westerly wind will blow, with gusts of 50 to 70 km/h, particularly near the coast. Temperatures remain subdued, with daytime highs limited to 0 to 6°C.
Friday, 2 January, stays cool and highly changeable. After a largely dry morning, the afternoon brings frequent showers of rain, hail or sleet, with snow above 300 m. The wind remains a feature, while temperatures struggle to rise beyond 6°C.
Saturday, 3 January, continues with a capricious mix. Bright spells alternate with occasional snow showers, mainly south of the Sambre–Meuse corridor, in a persistently cold atmosphere.
Sunday, 4 January, turns calmer and brighter. Long sunny intervals become more dominant and precipitation is scarce. Despite this, temperatures remain wintry, with widespread frost at dawn.
Monday, 5 January, sees the cold intensify again. Under a variable sky, snow showers may affect inland areas, while coastal regions could see sleet or hail.
Likely trend
The first ten days of January are expected to be decidedly wintry.
Tuesday, 6 January, remains cold with occasional snowfall.
Wednesday, 7 January, may bring a more pronounced winter episode, with moderate to locally heavy snowfall and the potential for notable accumulations.
Thursday 8 and Friday 9 January keep snow frequent in the Ardennes, while elsewhere it may alternate with sleet or rain.
From Saturday, 10 January, a gradual easing of the cold is suggested. In lowland areas, snow increasingly turns to sleet or rain, while higher ground remains wintry.
Finally, Sunday 11 and Monday 12 January could usher in a milder but markedly wetter spell, with locally heavy rainfall and a temporary break in the winter conditions.
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Forecast anomalies at 500 hPa
(mid-troposphere = 5,000–6,000 m altitude)
( charts )
Weather Update – 29 December 2025 | 8 a.m.
As the new year approaches, the leading forecasting models outline a January marked by sharp contrasts. While the early-month signal remains relatively clear, uncertainty increases noticeably at medium range.
For the first decade of January, the ECMWF and GEFS ensemble models are in strong agreement. A broad low-pressure zone is expected to stretch from northern Scandinavia down to the Iberian Peninsula, encompassing the Benelux, Germany and France along the way. Under this setup, our regions would be exposed to an unstable and fairly cold north-westerly to northerly flow, bringing changeable conditions and temperatures below seasonal averages.
During the second and third decades of January, forecast confidence decreases as the scenarios begin to diverge, reflecting a marked drop in predictability.
According to ECMWF, the low-pressure system would extend from the nearby Atlantic towards the North Sea, establishing a south-westerly flow—milder in nature but also more unsettled. By contrast, GEFS shifts the core of the low-pressure activity towards Central Europe and Italy, allowing a cold north to north-easterly flow to persist over our regions.
Despite these differences, both models converge again towards the end of the month. They point to the return of high pressure over Scandinavia, favouring a continental north-easterly flow, colder and potentially drier across our part of Europe.
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SOURCE: METEOCONSULT
BENELUX:
Weather Outlook for 3-4 weeks
Weather outlook – 9 to 25 January 2026
9–18 January: winter uncertainty, possible milder and wetter influence from the west
Medium-range forecasts still point towards predominantly wintry conditions, driven by a dominant northerly flow bringing cold and unsettled weather.
Under such a pattern, snowfall at low elevations cannot be ruled out, particularly across northern and eastern regions.
At this lead time, however, uncertainty remains high, both regarding the severity of the cold and the strength of disturbances arriving from northern Europe.
At the same time, alternative scenarios suggest a gradual shift towards milder and wetter conditions, with recurring weather fronts and temperatures returning closer to seasonal averages, especially from the west.
19–25 January: distinctly milder and unsettled
For the period 19 to 25 January, model guidance increasingly supports the establishment of a disturbed west to south-westerly flow.
This setup would bring frequent spells of rain, interspersed with temporary calmer intervals.
Temperatures are expected to rise significantly, settling well above seasonal norms, signalling a sustained break from winter conditions.
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Weather Outlook for 3 months
Update 13-12-25 – 3:00 PM
January 2026: a wintry spell before milder conditions return
January 2026 is expected to open with a distinctly wintry phase, followed by a clear and lasting return to milder conditions during the second half of the month.
The nationwide temperature anomaly is estimated at +0.7°C, pointing to an overall mild month despite a cold start.
Early January could bring low temperatures and a risk of snowfall reaching lowland areas.
From mid-January onwards, Atlantic influences are likely to dominate, bringing temperatures well above seasonal averages.
In terms of precipitation, a slight surplus (+5%) is anticipated. Weather systems would be fairly frequent at the beginning of the month under a northerly flow, before shifting to a westerly to south-westerly Atlantic regime from mid-month.
As a result, January could become the wettest month of the 2025-2026 winter.
February 2026: slightly drier and still mild
February is expected to remain generally mild, with a temperature surplus close to +1°C.
Weather conditions are likely to be contrasting, with cold mornings followed by milder and often sunny afternoons, as high-pressure systems settle more frequently over the region.
Precipitation totals would be slightly below average (-10%), with less active weather systems due to the influence of persistent high pressure over continental Europe.
March 2026: finally a seasonal month?
March could finally deliver near-average seasonal conditions.
Temperatures are expected to fluctuate around climatological norms, with alternating cooler periods and milder, more unsettled phases, typical of early spring.
Precipitation should be close to average overall, though locally below normal, under the possible influence of high-pressure systems over northern Europe.
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Update to BMCB Multimodel – since 1 October 2025
from ICON (replace location left above )
from ECMWF (replace location left above)