KNMI issues thunderstorm warnings for nine Dutch provinces as warm weather peaks
The KNMI issued code yellow warnings Saturday for thunderstorms that could bring hail, strong wind gusts, and heavy rain to much of the Netherlands later in the day.
The alerts are in effect or will activate across most provinces, starting in the south and spreading northward. Limburg faces the first risk from 3 p.m., with Noord-Brabant and Zeeland following around 5 p.m.
Warnings extend to Gelderland, Utrecht, and Zuid-Holland from 7 p.m. and to Flevoland and Noord-Holland from 9 p.m. The Northern provinces, including Drenthe, Friesland, Groningen, and Overijssel, will see the risk later in the evening or night as the system moves northeast. The warnings are expected to clear by early Sunday.
Saturday will feature clouds, sunny periods, and a few showers, followed by mostly dry conditions with increasing sunshine. Temperatures will rise quickly this morning to 17 degrees Celsius in the west and 21 degrees along the eastern border by around noon.
In the afternoon, light showers will move out of the north, giving way to a dry period with alternating clouds and sunshine. It will turn quite warm, with 23 degrees in the central Netherlands, 24 to 26 degrees in the south and east, and a maximum of just 18 degrees in the far west and on the Wadden Islands. A moderate southwest wind will prevail.
The risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms will increase in the south later in the afternoon and toward evening. Several robust showers are expected to track northward across the country. A strong cell could produce thunder, hail, and gusty winds up to 70 km/h, along with 10-20 mm of rain in a short time in some areas.
Scattered showers may persist overnight but will be less intense than the evening storms, with the temperature lows not expected to drop below 11 degrees.
Sunday will bring mostly cloudy skies with occasional morning sunshine and dry spells. By late morning and into the afternoon, an area of showers or rain will move across the country. Some places could see heavy downpours with more than 15 millimeters of rain, and thunder is possible in stronger storms.
Before the rain reaches the east and northeast, temperatures there will climb to 20 to 23 degrees. In the central and western parts of the country, highs will range from 18 to 20 degrees with a moderate southwest wind.
Showers will continue into Sunday evening before moving out. Skies will clear at times, and with decreasing winds, temperatures will fall toward 12 degrees by Monday night.
Monday will be noticeably cooler, with highs of 16 to 19 degrees along the coast and 19 to 21 degrees inland. Fair weather is expected with abundant sunshine, cumulus clouds, and isolated inland showers. The showers will die out during the evening, and most places should stay dry for the Dodenherdenking.
