2021 was one of the wettest years since records began
Figures released by Belgium’s Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI) on Saturday show that 2021 was the third wettest year since records began. According to KMI’s statistics that are based figures from its Ukkel (Brussels) Weather Centre, temperatures in 2021 were slightly colder than average. This is despite 2021 having been the 6th warmest year on record in the world as a whole.
During the course of 2021 temperatures at Ukkel didn’t exceed 29.5°C. Only in 1988 was the annual top temperature lower. For the first time in 6 years not a single heatwave was recorded in 2021.
To say that last year was wet is something of an understatement. 2021 was the third wettest year on record with July, the month in which areas of the southeast of the country suffered devastating flooding, being the wettest month. 166.5mm of precipitation fell at Ukkel during July. 14 July was the wettest day.
Together, the three summer months of 2021 were the wettest since records began in 1833. Last summer a total of 410.7mm of precipitation fell at the Ukkel Weather Centre.
As regards hours of sunshine, 2021 was pretty much an average year. There were a total of 1589 and 57 minutes of sunshine, which is just shy of the average of 1603 hours and 40 minutes.