Sunday could become warmest on record amid stormy coastal winds

The Netherlands will close the weekend with two notable weather shifts Sunday night: stormy conditions along the coast and unusually high temperatures that may break a national date record, according to weeronline's detailed forecasts issued Saturday.

Sunday will begin overcast and mostly dry, with only the northern and northeastern regions seeing occasional showers. The initially calm south wind will provide a favorable window for outdoor activity Sunday morning. Temperatures will reach about 10 degrees Celsius by early afternoon, and the first half of the day will remain dry.

Rain will arrive in Zeeland, Noord-Brabant, and Limburg during the second half of the afternoon and then advance gradually across the country. Northern regions will not see rain until the evening. The evening is expected to be broadly wet, with 10 to 15 millimeters falling in the hardest-hit areas.

Wind conditions will reportedly shift sharply after the rainband passes. Early Sunday evening will remain calm, with a weak to moderate south to southeast wind inland.

Later in the evening and overnight into Monday, the wind will rotate from south to southwest and strengthen to moderate or strong over land. Forecasters warn of a clearly stormy evening and night along the coast. Coastal areas will face strong to near-gale conditions, reaching wind force 7 or 8, with coastal gusts of 70 to 80 kilometers per hour.

At the same time, warm air will surge into the country. Late Sunday evening and around midnight, temperatures are expected to peak at about 14 degrees—exceptionally high for early December.

If the official station in De Bilt reaches more than 13.8 degrees before midnight, the country will set a new temperature record for December 7. The standing record, 13.8 degrees, dates to 2007.