Hottest summer in Belgium since records began

Summer 2018 is heading for the record books as Belgium's hottest to date, narrowly beating the previous record set during the 2003 heatwave.

The Royal Meteorological Institute is expected to confirm next week that the average temperature in Belgium - day and night - between 1 June and 31 August was 19.8°C.

"The summer of 2018 will be the hottest summer ever recorded in Belgium, and we will break the record of 2003," said official meteorologist David Dehenauw.

"The April-July period is already the hottest ever recorded in Europe, and the US weather service has determined that this period is also the warmest in over 100 years."

In 2003, June-to-August temperatures averaged 19.7°C. The Royal Meteorological Institute's records for Belgium date back to 1833.

Photo: Aude Vanlathem/Belga