Crowds flock to Dutch beaches; avoid crowds, municipalities warn

The beaches in Zandvoort, Bloemendaal, Noordwijk, Katwijk and Hoek van Holland are getting very crowded, the various municipalities warned on Thursday. All visitors are reminded to adhere to social distancing.

In Zandvoort and Bloemendaal it is already difficult to keep 1.5 meters apart. "Still coming to the beach? Take full parking spaces and crowds in the train and at the station into account," the municipality of Bloemendaal said on Twitter. 

Due to the heat, NS is running extra trains from Amsterdam to Zandvoort in the coming days.

Parking lots in Noordwijk and Hoek van Holland are already full. Katwijk called on people to stay away. "It is currently too crowded. That is why we call on everyone not to come to Katwijk today.

Warnings were also issued over heavy crowds at many parks, nature reserves, lakes and tourist attractions in Utrecht and Gelderland, according to Utrecht's crowd monitor. 

The coming days will be very hot in the Netherlands, with thermometers expected to climb as high as 38 degrees in some places on Friday. Weeronline said that the south and southeast of the country even have a 75 percent chance of a super heatwave. 

The RIVM implemented its national heat plan, reminding everyone to stay hydrated and cool, and to keep an eye out for the vulnerable people around them.