Nieuwpoort (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Strong winds hit West Coast towns, including Nieuwpoort, De Panne, and Koksijde, causing damage to buildings and Christmas decorations, cancelling fireworks, with fire services and police on alert.
As VRT News reported, strong winds hit the West Coast yesterday, Jan 2, 2026, with gusts up to 70 kilometres per hour. Fire stations were called out to several incidents.
“The fire department had to respond to two calls to Nieuwpoort: to Hendrikaplein and Zeedijk,”
says Kristof Louagie of the Westhoek Fire Department
“Some of the damage involved was due to loose Christmas decorations.”
Firefighters responded to reports on Quinten Metsysstraat in Oostduinkerke and Ambachtstraat in De Panne. The high winds caused damage and made travel risky in some areas. In De Panne, pieces of the facade of an old building came loose.
In Koksijde, a roof edge was torn off by the gusts. Emergency services quickly secured the areas to prevent accidents. Authorities warned residents to stay cautious while the storm conditions continue.
What damage did strong winds cause in Nieuwpoort, De Panne, and Koksijde?
Strong winds continue to cause problems in Nieuwpoort. In Niewpoort-Bad, city officials said Christmas decorations are being removed or reinforced in several locations due to the gusty weather. Firefighters are on duty to respond to any incidents, while local authorities have set up temporary detours for safety.
The storm has also forced the cancellation of tonight’s, Dec 3, 2025, fireworks on the beach near Hendrikaplein in Nieuwpoort. City authorities said the decision was made to protect the public.
“The weather is too unfavourable. Safety is paramount,“
the city announced.
The coastal areas of Belgium are commonly affected by winter windstorms that will often cause damage and disruption of daily life. In January 2024, the winds, with gusts of up to 80 k/h, were experienced in the towns of Nieuwpoort, De Panne and Koksijde, causing the roofs to be damaged and the trees to be blown down.
Many roads were closed due to road closures, and emergency services responded to many incidents. In December 2024, a storm forced the cancellation of some public events and also destroyed holiday decorations.
