Fireworks spectacle is almost never completely certain and some municipalities also protect private fireworks: an overview
A new year – finally another 100% without restrictions – that should be celebrated. At least, that’s what they thought in the biggest one: as usual, another bang on the transition from old to new. Only the weather gods seem to decide differently today. Weather apps and services are closely monitored in all major cities. Do you want a lot of wind, that means game is over for the fireworks.
A strong wind can be dangerous: “I’m not a weatherman,” says Christophe Byl, who is the chairman of the Belgian Fireworks Federation, “but at the recommended wind speeds – 60 to 70 kilometers per hour – problems can arise. Certainly because many cities opt for low-noise or animal-friendly fireworks. In essence, you then shoot less high and less heavy fireworks. Those arrows come close to what you can simply buy yourself in the store. That is dangerous in strong winds, because those lighter arrows also blow away faster. If you can’t build much distance from your audience, such an arrow can, for example, scorch clothing. Panic can also break out when it ends up in the audience.”
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In Ghent, it has been definitively established for animal-friendly fireworks. “And that can play to our advantage,” says Alderman Bram Van Braeckevelt (Groen). “It is just less dangerous, because if such a large arrow were to blow away, it could – as happened in the Netherlands – cause less damage. But I don’t want to lose myself in that discussion: we are assisted by experts and will monitor safety at all times.” That is why Ghent decided to already build the pontoon for the fireworks, but it will have to wait until the last second whether the fireworks can actually take place. “In Ghent, the original security perimeter is a bit smaller anyway,” says Byl. “Then you have less margin if the weather is bad.”
There is a safety margin in Antwerp, says Johan Vermant, spokesman for the mayor. On Saturday morning he could quickly say that the spectacle will certainly continue. “That’s because we set off the fireworks from the Scheldt. The distance to the public is very wide and there is therefore no danger.”
The only question is: are fireworks with gusts of wind really worth it? Ostend mayor Bart Tommelein (Open Vld) does not think so. “Our fireworks are also low-noise and they are lower projectiles. With those gusts of wind, they would be pretty worthless. Therefore, there is no point in letting it continue.” A pyrotechnician likes wind – so that the smoke blows away – but not too much. “Wind certainly has an influence,” says Byl. “The effects that you have thought out so beautifully in advance literally blow through each other. So there is an impact from a purely aesthetic point of view. If you use powerful bombs, they are less susceptible to the wind and there is more or less a stable trajectory. But if you want to use a golden rain, for example, it is more difficult. They are made on the basis of charcoal and with a strong sigh of wind that is simply gone.
Ban on fireworks in Willebroek
Many municipalities no longer allow private fireworks. At the beginning of December it turned out that only 1 in 3 is still possible, and then within a short period of time just before and after midnight. But due to the bad weather, a number of municipalities are now returning to this. For example, the municipality of Willebroek signed the previously announced permission to set off fireworks during New Year’s Eve between 23:30 and 1:00.
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Acting mayor Luc Spiessens (N-VA) believes that safety should take precedence. “Setting off fireworks cannot be without risk. The trajectory of the fireworks can change greatly due to the wind, which can have very serious consequences. I call on the people of Willebroek to use their health and not to set off fireworks.” Also in Lier and Mechelen you are no longer allowed to set off fireworks as a private person, while this was previously allowed.
The Netherlands
Municipalities and organizations throughout the Netherlands are also discussing whether or not the fireworks shows will succeed. A number of municipalities proceeded with cancellations. The show in Amsterdam’s A’Dam Toren has been moved to January 2. Two fireworks shows have been canceled in Hilversum and a drone and laser show in Apeldoorn has been cancelled.
Later, the decision about the national fireworks at the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam also fell due to the weather. The fireworks shows at two other places in the municipality, Hoek van Holland and Nesselande, have also been cancelled.