There is rain in the air, and that could cause danger on the road: « A slimy layer »
Our country finally gets the rain that it has been craving for months now. But that means that it was babysitting on the highways for the first days. Light rain after a long drought usually ensures slippery. « There is a soapy and slimy layer on the road. »
« A new wind is blowing through Belgium and rain is in the air, » Weerman Frank Deboosere said in our podcast More weather. « Saturday starts with clearings, but rain follows in the afternoon. On Sunday the opposite. It will not be enough to forget the drought, but to cause slippery roads. The combination of dust and water can cause a treacherous situation. »
“There is rain in the air. It will not be enough to forget the drought, but to cause smooth roads”
Frank Deboosere
Weatherman
Because smoothness is mainly associated with winter weather, the phenomenon could surprise drivers. « In many places a layer of dust and oil and rubber residues on the road surface has formed due to the drought, » says Stef Willems of Traffic Institute Vias. « Due to the first rain shower, that layer can turn into a soapy and slimy layer on the road. You have to take into account slip hazard and a longer braking distance. That occurs especially when the rain shower consists of ‘tender rain’. With heavy rain showers, that smooth layer flushes away much faster. »
Read too. « It is the worst situation in almost 50 years »: West Flanders moans under the drought
Weatherman Ruben Weytjens estimates the quantity for this weekend slightly larger and spoke of « 8 to 15 liters in 24 hours ». Next week changeable weather with showers is expected.
Stef Willems – Vias
