More trees uprooted this month than in the past 15 years

More trees were uprooted or felled in Brussels last week than in any other week for 15 years, according to Bruxelles Environnement.

In total, some 58 trees fell in the week beginning March 9th.

“This is an exceptional situation, both in terms of the number of trees affected and their size. We are not used to seeing so many large trees uprooted – some were more than 25 metres in height,” said Pauline Lorbat, a spokeswoman for Bruxelles Environnement.

“We are still waiting for the figures for this weekend but we already know that three other trees have fallen in Woluwe park,” she added.

The causes of the destruction, Ms Lorbat explained, were twofold: first, prolonged periods of high winds, often in excess of 90 km/h; and second, the presence of over-damp soil, which weakens tree roots.