High temps can swing wildly this week; Strong winds then sunny Election Day
The Netherlands is in for a wild ride weather-wise this week, with up to 10 degrees’ difference in maximum temperatures from one day to the next. Election day on Wednesday will be partly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of rain and maximums around 8 degrees.
Monday is windy, with a code yellow warning in place for the north and west of the country. Gusts up to 100 kilometers are possible, hindering traffic and outside activities, the meteorological institute KNMI warned. The code yellow applies to Zuid-Holland, Noord-Holland, the IJsselmeergebied, Flevoland, Friesland, the Wadden area, Groningen, and Drenthe until at least 4:00 p.m.
Maximums on Monday will range between 10 degrees on the northwest coast to up to 16 degrees in the southeast - about 10 degrees warmer than on Sunday. The sun will peek through the clouds occasionally, but cloud cover will dominate this evening.
Tuesday will be wet and gray but with some room for sunshine. Maximums will climb to around 7 degrees - significantly colder than Monday. Wednesday will look much the same as Tuesday.
From Thursday, there will be less chance of sun, more chance of rain, and temperatures will start climbing again. Thermometers could hit 16 or 17 degrees on Friday and Saturday.
According to Jaco van Wezel of Weeronline, wildly fluctuating temperatures are typical for March. It has to do with the differences in temperature between Northern and Southern Europe, he explained. “In Scandinavia, it is still winter in full swing in March, while southern Europe is already warming up strongly,” Van Wezel said. “In the Netherlands, we often benefit from both weather types, and this year, we are constantly in the border area of both air types.”
“One day, we can be on the mild side of the border and the next day on the cold side,” he continued. “This causes the typical March volatility. Incidentally, this capriciousness also applies to April. Even then, the temperatures often go in all directions.”