Hold onto your ijsjes — the Netherlands is on track for its first-ever national super heatwave. A sweltering stretch of five days above 30 degrees (three above 35) that’s never once been recorded nationally.
De Bilt, the municipality home to the Dutch Meteorological Institute (KNMI), and the official gatekeeper for national heatwave status, could tip things over as early as Wednesday or Thursday, reports AD.
The key difference between a regional and a national heatwave is where the temperature is recorded. A regional heatwave applies when thresholds are met at a local KNMI weather station, whereas a national heatwave is only declared once they’re achieved at the central KNMI station in De Bilt.
READ MORE | It’s only getting hotter: 37 degrees forecast for the Netherlands by end of week
If De Bilt is hit by the heat, it’ll be the longest heatwave ever recorded in a Dutch June: eight days straight.
The plot (and our sweat) thickens
Last weekend, we saw regional heatwaves recorded in Maastricht and Ell, checking off the requirement of temperatures over 25 degrees for five days straight, with three days topping 30 degrees — why this is marked as an achievement this is beyond us.
(Anyone interested in sponsoring the DutchReview office with aircon is very much welcome to slide into our DMs.)
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But the real prize is the super heatwave. He doesn’t wear a cape or have Clark Kent’s six-pack, but if he brings us five days of 30+ degree weather in De Bilt, three of them hitting 35, we’ll happily go on a second date.
For now, we’re only on day two of this week’s tropical heatwave bonanza, and the state of our supplies is already dwindling. Only two ijsjes left (lemon — niet lekker) and a six-pack of Heineken to quench our thirst.
If your fridge is looking anything like ours, you better send your kinderen to the Appie to regroup; it’s not like they’re busy being at school anyway.
There’s a lot more sweating to go
Temperatures in the Dutch south are predicted to reach 35 degrees or more from Wednesday through to Saturday. The rest of the country can get ready for equally sticky 30-degree heat sessions.
And there’s no cool saviour of the night, because the humid nights and 20-degree evenings will stick around too.
Regional super heatwaves have happened before — but never a national one. So buckets of sweat, shoving down ijsjes, and everyone on edge it is!
But, hey it’s a shot at the history books. 👀
What favourite ijsje of yours will be helping you survive this heat? Let us know in the comments.