Cold snap: Netherlands set for week of freezing temps

The Netherlands has an icy week ahead of it with night time temperatures expected to drop below freezing every night, and maximum temperatures climbing no higher than 3 or 4 degrees Celsius, Weeronline predicts.

Monday starts out mostly cloudy, with morning temperatures hovering around freezing point. The cloud fields will gradually dissipate through the course of the day. Maximum temperatures will range between 1 and 3 degrees.

Tuesday to Thursday will be sunny and cold. Night time temperatures will range between -3 and -8 degrees Celsius, and on the ground the temperature can drop to -10 degrees locally, according to the weather service. Skating enthusiasts have a good chance of getting out onto the ice on Wednesday or Thursday, at least on ice rinks where a thin layer of water is sprayed every day.

From Thursday the cloud cover will increase from the west, bringing with it a chance of showers. The western parts of the country may see some rainfall, while inland there is a chance of snow. Friday is expected to be cold with frost in the morning and some periods of sunshine during the day. Weeronline expects that ice on flooded meadows will be thick enough to skate on on Friday.

Temperatures will gradually start to climb again from the weekend. The eastern parts of the country can still expect some overnight frost, but in the west minimum temperatures will stay above zero. Afternoon temperatures will gradually rise to 3 to 6 degrees Celsius.