Anyone who hasn’t been enjoying the recent spate of hot weather will perhaps be relieved to hear that rain is on the way; the Dutch Weather Institute (KNMI) has issued code yellow and orange warnings for the whole of the Netherlands, with storms set to hit the country from around 3pm on Tuesday afternoon.
So far, June has been an undeniably hot month, bringing plenty of sunshine and summery weather. While these conditions are great for enjoying days at the beach or a cruise on the canals, the high temperatures also generally mean one thing: a storm is inevitable.
According to the KNMI, anyone who’s been enjoying the warm and sunny weather should make the most of it on Tuesday, as from around 3pm on June 20 the country is set to see “severe thunderstorms”. The weather institute has issued a code yellow weather warning for two provinces - Friesland and Groningen - and a code orange warning for the rest of the Netherlands.
“Heavy thunderstorms will reach the southwest from about 3pm,” the KNMI writes. "The thunderstorms will [then] move further northeast over the Netherlands.” The country is forecasted to see a significant amount of rain, wind gusts of up to 80 kilometres an hour, and even some hail. “Traffic and outdoor activities may be affected,” the KNMI warns on its website.
The good news is that, by Wednesday morning, the thunderstorms should have passed, with Weeronline writing that June 21 “promises to be a quiet summer day” with some clouds and sunshine - and temperatures ranging from 28 degrees in Maastricht to 23 degrees in The Hague.
Thursday is looking a little more uncertain; while the northwestern towns and cities should remain dry and enjoy some sunshine, the southeast of the Netherlands is likely to see some cloud cover and rain, and potentially some more storms.
Looking a little further ahead, Friday is set to be another dry and sunny day, with temperatures expected to rise again over the weekend - prepare for temperatures to reach the high 20s (or low 30s, depending on where you are) by Sunday.
Thumb: Menno van der Haven via Shutterstock.com.