Belgium's 2025 Climate Marks Fourth Warmest Year On Record, Says KMI

Belgium experienced another notably warm year in 2025, according to the Royal Meteorological Institute (KMI). The national average temperature reached 12.0°C, while rainfall dropped sharply and sunshine totals were high. The year also brought two official heatwaves, scarce snowfall and strong regional contrasts in daily weather conditions.

The KMI figures show that 2025 tied with 2014 as Belgium’s fourth warmest year since 1833. Only 2020 and 2022, both averaging 12.2°C, and 2023, at 12.1°C, were warmer. Within the 1991–2020 reference period, 2025 also ranked as the fourth sunniest year, recording more than 1,804 hours of sunshine.

Compared with sunshine levels, rainfall moved in the opposite direction in 2025. The Uccle station measured 620.6 mm of rain, which was almost half the 1,170.7 mm recorded in 2024. This amount represented the lowest annual total for the 1991–2020 climate reference period, underlining how dry the year was.

Key temperature and sunshine indicators for Belgium’s 2025 weather, and recent record years, can be summarised as follows:

The contrast with 2024 was clear in several rainfall indicators for Belgium’s 2025 weather. The number of precipitation days reached 145, which was the second lowest total since observations began. Only 2018 had fewer, with 142 days. Snowfall was limited in Uccle to seven days, well below the long-term average of seventeen.

Daily extremes also marked Belgium’s 2025 weather. The heaviest 24 hour rainfall occurred on 8th September in Hockai near Stavelot, with 62.0 millimetres measured. A striking temperature contrast appeared on 2nd July. Middelkerke on the coast reported 18.1°C, while Diepenbeek in Haspengouw reached 38.0°C, a difference of 19.9°C over a modest distance.

Early-season warmth and intense spells added further context to Belgium’s 2025 weather. The first summer day, defined by the KMI as a maximum of at least 25°C, arrived on 12th April. This was the earliest occurrence since that measure started in 1892. The institute also confirmed two official heatwaves during the summer months.

Overall, the KMI data describe a year in Belgium marked by high temperatures, strong sunshine and reduced rainfall. Records and near records affected average warmth, sunshine duration, precipitation totals and snowfall frequency. These findings give meteorologists and the public a clearer view of how Belgian weather in 2025 compared with recent decades.

With inputs from WAM