Severe thunderstorms prompt authorities to close parks and warn travellers across Belgium on 28 June

Belgium’s national crisis centre issued a Code Yellow weather alert in the early hours of Sunday, 28 June 2026, as a line of severe thunderstorms swept eastwards from the North Sea. Gusts exceeding 90 km/h and cloud-bursts of up to 40 mm per hour have already downed trees in West Flanders and flooded sections of the E40 motorway near Ghent, causing hour-long tailbacks and forcing lorry drivers onto diversionary routes. Local authorities in Brussels ordered the immediate closure of Bois de la Cambre, Parc de Laeken and other large green spaces to prevent injuries from falling branches.



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The Royal Forestry Service extended the closure to the Sonian Forest until at least Monday morning, citing saturated soils and the risk of uprooted beeches. Event organisers moved quickly: several outdoor concerts linked to the Couleur Café festival were postponed, while Antwerp’s AFAS Live dome delayed load-in for the evening’s Guns N’ Roses show by four hours. Public transport has been hit in multiple provinces. De Lijn suspended tram routes along the coast after sand blown onto tracks damaged pantographs, and SNCB imposed 60 km/h speed limits on exposed sections of the Brussels–Liège mainline. Brussels Airport warned of possible ground-handling pauses if lightning intensity exceeded safety thresholds, advising departing passengers to arrive earlier and monitor flight-status updates. From a global-mobility perspective, the disruption compounds logistical headaches created by the ongoing national strike and Eurostar cancellations. International assignees scheduled to move into rental properties this weekend have reported delayed key-handovers as removal vans were rerouted around flooded streets. Relocation consultancies recommend activating weather-delay clauses in tenancy contracts and checking relocation-insurance coverage for storage over-runs. Forecasters expect the storm front to clear eastern Belgium by midnight, but further isolated thunderstorms remain possible on Monday afternoon. Travellers should allow extra journey time, verify rail and flight schedules frequently, and heed local safety advisories on park closures and road conditions.