BRUSSELS — Belgian meteorologists reported record high temperatures on Wednesday as western Europe sweltered in a heatwave that has disrupted transport and triggered safety warnings.

David Dehenauw, chief forecaster at the Royal Meteorological Institute (IRM), said a high of 38.9 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) was recorded at the Kleine-Brogel military base, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast of Brussels and near the Dutch border.

In a tweet, the official said this was the highest since Belgium's first records were kept in 1833, and warned that temperatures are expected to rise further on Thursday.

The previous record temperature was 38.8 degrees on June 27, 1947.

This number was revised down to 36.6 Celsius in 1980 after new, more accurate equipment was installed at the institute's observatory in the Brussels district of Uccle. — AFP