Calm before the storm: Sunshine then thunder, 70 km/h gusts and hail in the Netherlands

The KNMI expects more thunderstorms in large parts of the Netherlands for the second day in a row, issuing a code yellow warning starting as early as 3 p.m. on Tuesday, and continuing on to midnight. When the storms are not brewing, Tuesday will feature enjoyable bursts of sunshine and a moderate wind from the north to east.

The high temperature will climb to around 25 degrees Celsius. The late afternoon storm warning will be in effect everywhere except Drenthe, Friesland Groningen, and Overijssel, as well as the Wadden Islands.

Thunderstorms will make their way up from the south during the second half of the afternoon and then spread to the center and west of the country. The storms may include downpours with over 30 mm of rain falling in an hour, hail stones up to 2 centimeters in diameter, and gusts of wind up to 70 kilometers per hour.

"The thunderstorms will then be moving to the center and west. Locally, a lot of rain will fall in a short period of time, which can cause flooding," the Dutch meteorological office, KNMI, wrote in its bulletin. "Gusty winds and hail can disrupt traffic and outdoor activities. The showers will become less intense later in the evening."

The code yellow warning first takes effect in the southeastern province of Limburg at 3 p.m., followed by Gelderland, Noord-Brabant and Zeeland from 4 p.m. The provinces of Flevoland, Utrecht, Zuid-Holland will be under a storm watch from 5 p.m., and an hour later the alert will cover Noord-Holland and the region around the IJsselmeer.

The storms should die down in Limburg by about 11 p.m., and at midnight everywhere else.

Wednesday will be gloomier and colder, with only occasional sunshine and maximums around 19 degrees. There is a chance of showers, and the southwesterly wind will be moderate to strong.