Belgium Heatwave: Code Orange, Drought Crisis

Belgium is enduring one of its most severe heatwaves in recent memory, with the Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI) issuing a code orange warning as temperatures reached up to 36°C inland on Monday. The extreme heat has compounded a drought crisis that is crippling agriculture, straining water resources, and echoing across the European continent.

A Critical Drought Situation

The heatwave marks the warmest day of the week, with inland temperatures climbing to 36 degrees while coastal areas remained cooler at 24-25°C, according to VRT NWS. A BE-Alert was sent to citizens warning of health risks, particularly for elderly people, young children, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions.

Behind the immediate discomfort lies a deeper crisis. Hydrology expert Aurore Degré, professor of hydrology and soil physics at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, described the situation as “critical” (“Ça commence à devenir critique”). Speaking to RTBF, Degré noted that crisis center communiqués are growing longer meeting after meeting, signaling that drought now affects “more and more sectors” — from fishing to navigation and agriculture.

“A flood is something very rapid, that arrives very quickly with immediate consequences,” Degré explained. “Drought is a more insidious phenomenon, but it’s starting to affect enormous numbers of sectors.”

Several Walloon municipalities have already imposed water restrictions. In areas dependent on dams, such as the Nisramont dam, the situation is critical and could worsen “in a few weeks” without significant rainfall. Meanwhile, Flanders has been under drought code orange since mid-July, meaning the region is in a phase of effective water scarcity.

Agriculture Under Siege

The agricultural impact is perhaps the most visible sign of the crisis. In the Westhoek region of West Flanders, the buffer basins that serve as the last public water reserves for farmers have run nearly dry. The basin at Vlamertinge is closed to farmers as the water level dropped below the suction point, the provincial basin in Poperinge is closing, and in Langemark the level has been too low since July 17. Farmers face fines up to 350 euros for attempting to draw water, VRT NWS reports.

“It’s dramatic,” said Dirk Sioen, vegetable farmer and water alderman in Zonnebeke. Some farmers are now traveling to Wallonia or the Leie river in search of water, but the costs are prohibitive. “One trip by a contractor for 30 cubic meters of water takes 3 hours at 100 euros per hour,” explained Miguel Gheysens, farmer and water alderman in Ieper. “So you quickly pay 10 euros for 1 cubic meter.”

The consequences for the potato harvest — a cornerstone of Belgian cuisine — are severe. Processing companies contracted an average of 25-30 tons per hectare, targets that will not be achieved. “We’re in trouble,” said Danny Metsu, farmer and alderman in Ieper, standing on his dried-out potato field. Philip Fleurbaey of hoevewinkel Zuid-Bellegoed in Ieper confirmed the grim outlook: “2026 will unfortunately not be a great fry year.”

Vegetable and fruit production is suffering similarly. Dirk Declercq, chairman of the board at REO Veiling in Roeselare, reported that broccoli, cauliflower, and leek are smaller due to heat stress, with some harvests reduced by up to 75 percent. “The plants experience heat stress and shoot up faster,” Declercq told VRT NWS. “As a result, they are often no longer harvestable or the fruits weigh much less.” He added: “It is inevitable that certain products will become more expensive.”

A Continental Crisis

The drought extends far beyond Belgium’s borders. The Danube has reached historically low levels, forcing nuclear power plants in Hungary and Romania to shut down or reduce capacity. Romania’s army even blew up rocks in the Danube to redirect water toward the Cernavoda nuclear plant, as NOS reports. The Rhine in the Netherlands recorded its lowest level ever at Lobith (6.47 meters), breaking the previous record from August 2022.

Across Europe, the consequences are multiplying. RTBF reports that Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant faces its first full shutdown in 44 years, France’s EDF has shut down three reactors at Cattenom and Chooz due to low river levels, and Austria’s hydroelectric production has fallen about 30 percent below average. Inland navigation has been severely disrupted, with ships on certain waterways forced to leave 10-20 percent of their cargo behind.

“We suspect that if there is no rain in the next 2 to 3 weeks, locks will really be closed,” warned Philippe Govers of Koepel Binnenvaart Vlaanderen.

Climate Change Attribution

The scientific evidence points to human-caused climate change as a key driver. According to World Weather Attribution, the soil drought observed in Europe in the first half of 2026 was made 5 times more likely in Western Europe and 11 times more likely in Eastern Europe due to human-caused climate change.

Degré warns that this is not a one-off event. “It will still rain as much in Belgium, that’s good news,” she said, “but it will rain more in winter and not much in summer, or in the form of very intense episodes.” She advocates for a more systemic approach to water management: “Today we manage a moment of crisis with restrictions. At the scientific level, we advocate for a more systemic, more global, and more anticipatory approach.”

Life Goes On — With Adjustments

Despite the extreme conditions, daily life continues. The Charleroi fair opened as scheduled over the weekend despite temperatures of 31°C, with 50 fairground operators braving the heat on the concrete slab of the P1 parking area at the Grand Palais. Food stall temperatures reached up to 45°C inside, according to RTBF.

“I’m hot, but I’m too happy to be here,” said Alli, an 18-year-old fair visitor. “We’ll make sure to drink plenty of water.” The fair runs until August 17.

What’s Next

The Flemish Drought Commission will meet again on August 13 to assess the situation. The KMI expects temperatures to remain high in the coming days, with possible thunderstorms in the east and south. But without significant rainfall, the drought is expected to deepen.

For Degré, the long-term challenge is clear. “If we have a wetter ecosystem, a system globally more filled with water, we are more robust when a drought occurs and we can hold out longer without major consequences for crops or forest,” she said. “It won’t only be surface water that will be under stress, it will also be groundwater.”

As Belgium and Europe confront this historic drought, the question is no longer whether climate change is reshaping our environment — but how quickly societies can adapt to a future where water is increasingly scarce.