Belgium woke up to another sweltering morning on Monday, 13 July 2026, as the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM) prolonged its national yellow heat alert until at least Friday. Day-time temperatures are projected to hover between 30 °C and 33 °C across all provinces. Although the coast briefly reverts to ‘green’ status today, it will move back to yellow on Tuesday, meaning the entire rail, road and aviation network must continue operating under hot-weather protocols. The IRM decision automatically triggers phase II of the federal Heatwave & Ozone Peaks Plan. Transport operators have dusted off pre-agreed mitigation measures: Infrabel is allowing lower axle-load limits on older tracks most susceptible to buckling, while SNCB has authorised speed reductions of up to 20 km/h on selected sections during the afternoon peak. Brussels Airport confirmed additional portable air-conditioning units for border-control queues and bottled-water stations for transfer passengers. Ground-handler Alyzia said extra staff are on duty in high-temperature zones such as baggage belts. Corporate mobility managers should anticipate knock-on effects. Minor timetable changes already appear in the SNCB journey planner and in European Sleeper’s booking engine. While EU Regulation 261/2004 does not recognise hot weather as ‘extraordinary circumstances’, airlines stress that ramp closures for safety reasons could still delay departures. Employers are advising posted workers and business travellers to schedule morning slots for site visits, and to build generous buffers into multimodal door-to-door itineraries. Occupational-health specialists remind companies that Belgium’s new telework law, which entered into force on 1 June, allows remote work when the IRM issues a yellow or higher warning. In practice, many firms have already switched meetings planned for mid-week to virtual formats. Expat families preparing for the summer exodus have been cautioned that pets may be denied carriage on certain afternoon trains without air-conditioned carriages. For now, no red alert is on the horizon, but meteorologists caution that humidity is high. If the wet-bulb index climbs further, additional restrictions — including potential lorry bans on the E40 and temporary runway-length reductions — could follow. Mobility stakeholders therefore face at least four more days of operational vigilance and are urged to monitor real-time channels closely.
Source: The Brussels Times
