Belgium issues rare red heat alert as temperatures near 40C

Belgium's Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI) on Thursday issued a rare red heat alert for the eastern provinces of Liege and Limburg for Friday as temperatures are expected to approach 40C (104F) in parts of the country.

David Dehenauw, head of weather forecasting at the RMI, said several weather models indicate that temperatures in some areas of Liege and Limburg could reach 40C.

A red alert is issued when temperatures reach levels considered dangerous to public health and safety, requiring precautionary measures and increased vigilance.

The RMI first issued such a warning nationwide in July 2019 and again for most of the country during the summer of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authorities advised residents to drink plenty of fluids, maintain salt intake, rest frequently, remain in cooled environments, use damp cloths in cases of dehydration and avoid direct exposure to sunlight.

Despite the red warning, Belgium's Federal Public Service for Public Health said there are currently no plans to reconvene the Risk Management Group, which coordinates responses to national emergencies, broadcaster VRT reported.

The agency noted that the Risk Management Group had already activated the alert phase of the national ozone and heat plan earlier this week, describing the situation as "very exceptional" while stopping short of introducing nationwide measures.

Health authorities issued a joint appeal for increased vigilance during public events, particularly for vulnerable groups including young children, older adults, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions.

"The heatwave on Friday and this weekend is exceptional," Gerlant Van Berlaer, chief medical officer at the Federal Public Service for Public Health, said in a statement.

He urged vulnerable individuals to carefully assess whether to participate in outdoor activities, warning that "it is better to skip an activity than to take unnecessary risks in this heat."

Separately, surgeries were temporarily suspended at AZ Sint-Lucas Hospital in Ghent and Antwerp University Hospital in Edegem after an outage affected their electronic patient record systems.

The central server, where all medical data is stored, is located in Paris and has overheated.