Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Belgium saw one of its darkest Octobers since 1886, with only 45–46 sunshine hours. Early November warms unusually to 16–17°C due to southern air, says meteorologist Frank Deboosere.
As GVA News reported, Belgium is facing a rare change in the weather after one of the darkest months in recent history. Temperatures are expected to reach around 20°C in early November 2025, far above the normal for this time of year.
Uccle recorded 20.3°C on November 12, 1995, while the average temperature in mid-November is only 10.5°C. The warmth stands out in a month usually dominated by gray skies and cold days. Residents will experience unusually mild weather, a clear break from the season’s usual chill.
“We won’t reach 20 degrees; that’s a bit too optimistic,”
the weatherman explains.
“But with 16 and possibly 17 degrees, we’re already well above the average for early November, which is 12 to 13 degrees.”
What made Belgium see one of its darkest Octobers as November warms?
According to officials, the temperature rise is caused by air currents bringing subtropical air from the south into Belgium. Warm air from the Mediterranean region is moving north, raising temperatures across the country. Meteorologists describe this as a “meridional flow,” where the jet stream allows southern warmth to reach northern Europe.
Belgium is seeing more sunshine after a very gloomy October. Meteorologist Frank Deboosere says the month has been one of the darkest on record. The official statistics for October will only be completed tomorrow.
“We’re coming out of a particularly gloomy period, with only a significant amount of sunshine on October 1st and 30th. In between, it was a real nightmare. Thursday’s sunshine hours mean we won’t be able to break the record, as we only managed to get seven more hours of sunshine at the last minute,”
concludes Deboosere.
October 2025 will be remembered as one of the darkest months in Belgium’s weather history. Belgium’s sunshine records date back to 1886, and only October 1918 was gloomier, recording 43 hours of sun. Usually, Belgium sees approximately 110 hours of sun in October, but this October total was only 45 to 46 hours. Over the entire month, dull grey skies prevailed, except on October 1 and October 30, which were clear days. Uccle registered a temperature of 20.3 °C on November 12, 1995, based on normal seasonal averages of 10.5 °C in mid-November.
