Severe thunderstorms sweep Belgium with large hail and injuries at Liezele festival
Updated 27 June 2026, 18:30 UTC | Liezele, Antwerp province: A severe onweer trekt across Belgium on Saturday, with HLN and Het Nieuwsblad reporting hagelbollen groot als golfballen and injuries among festivalgoers in Liezele. HLN reported that the storm system was moving east toward Limburg after crossing parts of Flemish Brabant and Antwerp province. The Royal Meteorological Institute says heavy thunderstorms can bring intense rain, hail, wind gusts and lightning, and classifies 3cm to 5cm hail as a heavy thunderstorm criterion.
Trust & Evidence📚 4 sources· ✓ Editor reviewed· 🧠 AI-checked· Trust status: not yet independently verifiedView evidence & verification Hide
Verification record
- 📚 4 verified sources — Het Nieuwsblad · HLN · Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium · The Guardian, citing AFP
- 🧠 High confidence — AI-checked, editor-approved
- 🇧🇪 Belgian impact: High
- 📜 Provenance recorded & timestamped
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About this story
The story concerns a fast-moving Belgian thunderstorm line affecting outdoor events, road users and residents. The most specific reported impact is in Liezele, where HLN and Het Nieuwsblad said festivalgangers lopen verwondingen op after large hail struck the area. The RMI provides the official national framework for thunderstorm warnings and hail-risk thresholds.
How to read this story
The history
Belgium regularly sees summer thunderstorms after hot, unstable weather. The RMI warning scale treats hail of 3cm to 5cm as part of a heavy-thunderstorm scenario and hail above 5cm as an exceptional-impact scenario. That places reports of hail groot als golfballen in a category that requires caution until official measurements are confirmed.
Regional impact
Flanders is the centre of the reported impact, with Liezele named by HLN and Het Nieuwsblad and the storm track reported by HLN as moving toward Limburg.
Local impact
In Liezele, HLN and Het Nieuwsblad reported injuries among festivalgoers. Residents in affected areas should avoid exposed outdoor spaces, move vehicles under cover only if safe, and follow RMI and municipal updates.
International angle
The Belgian storms occurred during a wider European heat episode. The Guardian, citing AFP, reported heat-related event cancellations in Belgium and elsewhere in Europe.
What this means for you
If you are outside in an affected area, move indoors, avoid trees and temporary structures, keep away from floodwater, delay cycling or driving during hail, and check RMI updates before travelling.
Opposing perspectives
- Public safety authorities and event organisers
Their priority is keeping people away from open fields, temporary structures and trees when hail, lightning and gusts arrive. For them, the key decision is whether outdoor events pause, shelter or evacuate before conditions worsen.
- Festivalgoers and local residents
Their immediate concern is practical: finding shelter, checking injuries, protecting vehicles and avoiding flooded or debris-covered roads. They need clear, fast instructions from organisers, police, municipalities and weather services.
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.