Almost the whole country will go under code yellow from Thursday at 10 AM, June 18. The RIVM will also activate the National Heat Plan as Friday threatens highs of 35 degrees Celsius.
If you’ve been waiting all year for an excuse to do absolutely nothing in the shade, here it is.
The RIVM and KNMI announced the warning together on Wednesday, and only the Wadden Islands will get to sit this one out. For the rest of us, there’s a chance of a regional heatwave by the weekend.
As reported by the KNMI, the warning applies to a stretch of warm, sticky days rather than one freak afternoon.
How hot is it actually going to get?
Temperatures climb on Thursday, and from Friday, it hits 30 degrees Celsius, with local spikes up to 35 degrees, NU.nl reports.
Over the weekend, daytime highs will settle between 25 and 30 degrees, which means you can expect to find frat boys in the canals, and empty ijsje shelves in the appie.
@dutchreview Lekker weertje he? ☀️😎 Seriously, is someone pulling a joke? Lather up with that sunscreen because temperatures are set to rise up to 34 degrees Celsius this weekend. What are your plans for the tropical weekend? Let us know! #netherlands #weather #dutchreview ♬ original sound – DutchReview
What is the National Heat Plan, and why should you care?
While you and Jan may be dreaming about getting some serious tan lines, for others, it’ll be a rough weekend.
The Nationaal Hitteplan (National Heat Plan) is the RIVM’s way of putting carers and healthcare staff on alert when hot weather rolls in. It switches on when the KNMI expects four days in a row of 27 degrees or more.
The point is simple: heat is sneaky. According to the RIVM, the warm spell can leave people feeling tired, headachy, and unable to concentrate. More serious problems, like dehydration or heatstroke, are also on the table.
The advice is the kind your grandmother would approve of, such as drink plenty of water, head outside early (or later in the evening when it’s cooler), and keep your home shaded.
And for anyone experiencing their first summer here, you’re about to learn that most Dutch homes aren’t built for the heat, so a fan and a cold drink are your best friends this week.
So, are you team beach, team fan-in-front-of-the-laptop, or team “I’ll just complain about it”? Tell us how you’re surviving the heat in the comments.