Perseid meteor shower peaking tonight; Clear skies expected after a hot day
The Perseid meteor shower is peaking tonight. Clear skies should make for great viewing in the Netherlands, Weeronline expects, though the almost-full moon will mean that most of the fainter meteors remain invisible. But first, Netherlands residents have a sunny and hot summer day to look forward to.
Tuesday will see some cloud cover move in from the North Sea, but there is plenty of room for sunshine. Temperatures will climb quickly in the morning, reaching tropical values of 30 degrees or higher on a wide scale this afternoon. The southeast could see maximums of around 34 degrees. Only the Wadden Islands, close to the sea, and in the far north will not get tropically hot today, with temperatures of 26 to 29 degrees.
Tonight will be dry and fairly clear everywhere, making for excellent meteor viewing. The Perseids are visible in the Netherlands every year between mid-July and mid-September, peaking in August. The peak is tonight. Usually, if the weather allows, you can see as many as 80 shooting stars per hour during the peak. But because the moon is nearly full and will shine at about 85% of its maximum intensity tonight, many faint meteors will not be visible, so expect to see only around 21 shooting stars per hour during the peak.
The Perseids will peak at 4:45 a.m. on August 13. By then, there will be some cloud cover in the northwest. “Therefore, it’s best to head out a bit earlier to view the stars,” Weeronline suggested.
Wednesday will be another hot, dry, and mostly sunny summer day, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius in some places along the border. On Thursday, there is a chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm, but it will remain dry in most places. The sun will shine brightly in the afternoon, and there is a good chance of maximums climbing to tropical values again.
After that, a northerly wind will bring some less warm air into the country. On Friday, temperatures could still reach 30 degrees inland, but highs between 22 and 27 degrees are expected for the weekend. No rain is expected.
