Heavy rainfall reported by Phil Layton in Guildford late on Tuesday
evening seems to have moved across to Belgium overnight.

The area around Koksijde, Veurne, De Panne and Sint Idesbald at the
western end of the Belgian coast was hit by torrential rain and
flooding between about 05.00 and 07.00 local time on Wednesday
morning.

Account in English on the Flermish TV website
http://www.vrtnieuws.net/cm/flanders...808_cloudburst

In Koksijde 77 mm rain fell in less than 2 hours.

Photos with the report in Dutch here
http://www.vrtnieuws.net/cm/vrtnieuw...0808_Wolkbreuk

Click on "volgende" under "foto" on top right-hand side. Also short
videos under "video" at top of page.

Koksijde fire brigade had around 150 calls for help and floodwater was
1 metre deep in parts of the town.
Fire brigade in De Panne received over 300 calls and about half the
properties in the town had flooded basements or cellars.

Widespread rain in Belgium also on Thursday - over 25 mm in some
places in the south and east: Beauvechain 28 mm, Kleine Brogel 31
mm, Ransberg (amateur site) 36 mm. Amateur site at Maasmechelen in
Belgian Limburg near the Dutch border reports 72 mm in 18 hours
starting at 01.30 on Thursday.

Colin Youngs
Brussels

Fire brigade in De Panne received over 300 calls and about half the
properties in the town had flooded basements or cellars.

I feel I have noticed over the last two years or so how often heavy
rain fall events run along the channel clipping the coast as you
describe - or sometimes on a more SW/NW track clipping Kent and parts
of the SE. I don't suppose the frequency is known where cellars and
basements have been flooded but my question is whether dwellers in
these coastal areas have issues obtaining insurance.
I am mindful of one media comment that heavy rainfall events were more
likely in the future - in the UK - and presume that includes our
neighbours.
Robin