June kicks off with first official summer day; Thunderstorms ahead

Tuesday was the first official summer day of 2021 in the Netherlands, with temperatures climbing to 25.2 degrees at 3:50 p.m. at the national weather station in De Bilt. The rest of the week will also see summery temperatures, but with thunderstorms expected for Thursday and Friday.

To give a day the "summer" label, thermometers must top 25 degrees in De Bilt. This year's first summer day came about two weeks later than average, according to Weerplaza. The last time temperatures climbed above 25 degrees in De Bilt was on September 21 last year. That makes 253 days between summer days.

The rest of the week will also be nice and warm, but with thunderstorms. Meteorological institute KNMI issued a code yellow warning for Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon. Downpours may be accompanied by hail and strong winds, the institute warned.

Today will be mostly sunny with maximums ranging between 23 degrees Celsius on the Wadden and 28 degrees in the south. This evening may see a few showers, possibly with some thunder. Overnight will be cloudy, but mostly dry. The night will be warm, with thermometers dropping to around 15 degrees.

Thursday will be a mix of sun and clouds, giving way to thunderstorms from the east of the country in the afternoon. Maximums will range between 22 degrees along the coast and 27 degrees in the east. Friday will also see maximums up to 26 degrees, but the weekend is expected to be cooler.