BERADAR
Important natural phenomena in Belgium
BERadar / Method
BERadar is a data aggregator dedicated to natural phenomena in Belgium, whether normal, seasonal or unusual. It brings several sources together on one map to help you understand what is happening now.
Essential principle
The site does not display future weather scenarios. Available animations show changes that have already been observed, while model-based fields describe an estimate of the current state. They are not forecasts issued by BERadar.
A clear distinction
To avoid confusing measurements with calculations, BERadar clearly separates directly observed phenomena from those estimated by a weather model.
Precipitation radar, thermal anomalies and electrical activity come from ground-based instruments or sensors carried by satellites.
Wind, clouds, fog, frost, snow and heat come from high-resolution models. BERadar selects the current hour or the latest completed hour without using the forecast part of those models.
Sources and technical providers
BERadar relies on public organisations, data services and open-source projects. The word “partner” is used here in a technical sense and does not necessarily imply a commercial or institutional affiliation.
Observed precipitation
RainViewer supplies the recent radar images used to show rain and its movement during the previous two hours.
View sourceThermal anomalies
MODIS and VIIRS instruments detect unusually hot points. A detection may correspond to a fire, but it does not by itself confirm a wildfire or local incident.
View sourceEstimated current wind
The European model from Deutscher Wetterdienst provides wind speed, direction and gusts. Open-Meteo makes these data available to BERadar.
View sourceClouds, fog, frost, snow and heat
The high-resolution European model from the Danish Meteorological Institute supplies several current fields. Open-Meteo provides the technical access.
View sourceObserved electrical activity
The Lightning Imager on Meteosat-12 detects optical emissions produced by lightning. It shows electrical activity without systematically distinguishing ground strikes.
View sourceGeographic data
Roads, towns, borders and other geographic elements come from the collaborative OpenStreetMap database.
View sourceVector basemap
OpenFreeMap distributes the tiles used by the site. OpenMapTiles organises the data in a vector schema that BERadar adapts to its visual identity.
View sourceInteractive display
MapLibre draws the map in your browser, overlays the layers and manages zooming, panning, legends and interactions.
View sourceAggregation, design and development
Pixel Komando selects the sources, normalises the data, develops proxies and caches, builds the interface and maintains BERadar.
Discover Pixel KomandoBehind the scenes
BERadar queries the official source or its distribution service.
A local cache limits unnecessary calls and temporarily retains the latest usable data.
Formats, times, units and grids are converted so they can be compared on the same map.
Your browser receives only the required elements and overlays them on the basemap.
Keep in mind
The data may contain a delay, a missing area, interpolation or a detection error. BERadar helps you observe and understand a situation; it should not be the sole basis for a safety decision.
For official warnings and instructions, consult the RMI, the National Crisis Centre and the relevant authorities.
You now know exactly what you are looking at.
Open the BERadar map