RAVeL W3 Véloroute des Carnavals: which way and when to ride
The best month for RAVeL W3 Véloroute des Carnavals is September: 77% of days were dry with highs of 10–30 °C. In September the wind barely favours either direction — on average 1.9 km/h along the route (ERA5 2006–2025, daytime 9:00–18:00).
Weather by month
| Month | Good days | Rain days ≥ 1 mm | Rain, mm | Avg high | Days ≥ 30 °C | Days < 10 °C | Daylight, h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5% | 31% | 79 | 5 °C | 0% | 88% | 8.5 † |
| February | 13% | 30% | 68 | 7 °C | 0% | 79% | 10.0 † |
| March | 43% | 26% | 67 | 10 °C | 0% | 48% | 11.7 |
| April | 64% | 26% | 48 | 14 °C | 0% | 19% | 13.7 |
| May | 69% | 30% | 73 | 17 °C | 0% | 3% | 15.4 |
| June | 71% | 28% | 77 | 21 °C | 2% | 0% | 16.4 |
| July | 70% | 25% | 71 | 23 °C | 5% | 0% | 16.0 |
| August | 67% | 28% | 78 | 22 °C | 5% | 0% | 14.5 |
| September | 77% | 22% | 59 | 19 °C | 1% | 0% | 12.5 |
| October | 71% | 23% | 72 | 15 °C | 0% | 8% | 10.6 † |
| November | 30% | 29% | 70 | 9 °C | 0% | 56% | 8.9 † |
| December | 9% | 27% | 83 | 6 °C | 0% | 81% | 8.0 † |
Best months are all months within 3 percentage points of the best one. † less than 11 hours of daylight — long stages get tight.
Wind by month
| Month | Wind Tubize → Chimay, km/h | Headwind > 15 km/h, Tubize → Chimay | Headwind > 15 km/h, Chimay → Tubize | Better way |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −5.2 | 24% | 5% | Chimay → Tubize |
| February | −4.4 | 23% | 7% | Chimay → Tubize |
| March | −1.4 | 16% | 9% | either |
| April | +0.5 | 11% | 9% | either |
| May | +0.9 | 9% | 9% | either |
| June | +0.8 | 7% | 7% | either |
| July | −0.6 | 9% | 5% | either |
| August | −1.7 | 9% | 4% | either |
| September | −1.9 | 12% | 5% | either |
| October | −5.2 | 22% | 4% | Chimay → Tubize |
| November | −6.6 | 26% | 4% | Chimay → Tubize |
| December | −6.7 | 27% | 4% | Chimay → Tubize |
Along the route (sections of about 25 km)
| km | Heading | Tailwind in September, km/h |
|---|---|---|
| 0–26 | S | −1.8 |
| 26–52 | SW | −4.1 |
| 52–77 | SE | +1.1 |
| 77–102 | S | −2.5 |
| 102–114 | S | −2.5 |
How to read the numbers
Wind is the 10 m wind of a 25-km grid cell, daytime hours 9:00–18:00 local solar time; at saddle height in a sheltered valley it is weaker, on a coast or ridge stronger. A positive value is a tailwind. ERA5 slightly over-counts days with ≥ 1 mm of rain (by about 5–7 percentage points) and underestimates daily highs by 1–2 °C. Good day = less than 1 mm of rain between 9:00 and 18:00 (riding hours, local solar time) and a high between 10 and 30 °C; rain at night or in the evening does not spoil it.