Warning issued for lightning, rough winds across country

The Netherlands can expect thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds, lightning strikes and hail on Tuesday afternoon. Meteorological institute KNMI issued a code yellow warning for the entire Netherlands, starting on the southwest coast at noon on Tuesday and spreading across the rest of the country during the course of the afternoon.

The KNMI expects gusts of up to 85 kilometers per hour. The storms may also be accompanied by lots of hail and rain falling in a short period of time. "Traffic and outside activities may be hindered", the meteorological institute warns. "Avoid open waters and open areas, do not shelter under trees. Follow weather forecasts and warnings."

The weather warning will be in effect until Wednesday morning.

Weather in the Netherlands will be partly cloudy with a chance of rain the entire week. Monday and Tuesday will be mild, with afternoon temperatures ranging from 18 to 23 degrees. Wednesday is expected to be colder and maximum temperatures will climb no higher than 17 degrees, with a 90 percent chance of rain. After that there will be less rain and temperatures will climb again, maybe reaching as high as 28 degrees by Saturday.