Belgian winter unseasonably warm

Following in the footsteps of December’s well above average temperatures, January continued with warm weather more suited for the springtime. Forecasters are predicting that the mild temperatures will continue, making this one of the warmest winters on record.

The thermostat maintained an average of 6.1 degrees Celsius throughout the month of January, which is 3 degrees north of the yearly average recorded annually since 1833. The high average places this past January in 7th place on the list of all-time warmest. Last year, the average hovered around 2.1 degrees, a temperature more appropriate for the season. Overall, this has been the 2nd warmest winter on record, coming in behind 2006-2007 when the average was 6.6 degrees. 

Although the warm weather maybe a relief for some, it has affected winter clothing sales as many coats and sweaters were left on the racks this year.