The weather during the spring break will be particularly mild for this time of year. On Thursday the mercury could even rise to 17 degrees, which is double the normal average temperature for mid-February.
Spring seems to be in the country when you look at the weather maps. “We see very mild temperatures for this time of year,” says David Dehenauw of the RMI.
Today (Monday) it will be heavily cloudy, with showers moving from west to east across the country. During the afternoon it will become drier from the west and clear up. Tuesday will be a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures up to 10 degrees. And after that the mercury can no longer be stopped. The chance of rain will increase again on Wednesday, but it will be a bit milder, with temperatures up to 12 degrees. “On Thursday, temperatures will even rise to 16 to 17 degrees. This is caused by a southerly wind that brings warm air. Yes, that’s unusually warm for mid-February. But no record yet. In 2019 we reached 18.1 degrees on February 15,” says Dehenauw. And in 2022 it was 17 degrees on New Year’s Eve.
The normal maximum temperature should hover somewhere around 7 to 8 degrees now, in mid-February. So half less. Only next week will temperatures return to more or less normal values. There is no longer any real winter weather to come. Not even freezing temperatures at night.
Toads have lost their way
Due to the mild, wet weather, the toads have already started their toad migration. In many places you can see animals lying flattened on the road. “Due to the mild winters, toads nowadays come out of hibernation a month earlier than 10 years ago. Temperature fluctuations are particularly bad for the animals,” says Natuurpunt. “Small numbers of lemon butterflies and moths have also been observed, while they are normally only visible later,” says Wim Veraghtert of Natuurpunt. But fruit flies and even bumblebees will also fly out quickly.
A number of flower and plant species also think that spring has sprung. Thousands of snowdrops are in bloom in the Kalmthout Arboretum. They are the harbinger of spring every year.
“There are early and late varieties and it is striking that even the late varieties are now flowering earlier than usual. And the crocuses are also a little earlier than normal. Even with the magnolias you notice that the buds are swelling,” says curator Abraham Rammeloo of the Arboretum in Kalmthout. “And in some trees you can even see sap flows. Normally you would still be able to prune as much as possible, but that is no longer possible with the maple.”
Little snow
Many Flemish people are on the fence this week. But even in the ski areas there is not a spectacular amount of snow and the mercury is rising. In the French Alps, 1 to 5 centimeters will fall between now and next weekend, just when everyone has to go home again. In the Swiss Alps, Austria and Northern Italy a maximum of 10 to 15 centimeters at the height of the peaks. Even in the ski areas it will be exceptionally warm on Thursday and there may be some rain.
Those looking closer to home, in Winterberg, Germany, for example, should take into account that only a third of the slopes are open and that not a flake of snow is predicted for the coming days. More rain.
