A third regional heatwave could strike the southern Netherlands this weekend, and if it lands, it’ll be the earliest a Dutch summer has ever seen three of them.
If you’ve only just recovered from June’s sweaty stretch, brace yourself. The Netherlands is heading into another very warm spell, with forecaster Weeronline saying a third regional heatwave is very likely.
Thankfully, we’re currently in a slightly cooler phase (the calm before the storm, if you will). The south is summery today, with temperatures of 26 to 30 degrees Celsius, while the rest of the country sits between 20 and 24.
When will the heat hit?
Starting Thursday, July 9, temperatures in the south may start climbing back into tropical territory (30 degrees and up), and the warmth is expected to hang around into next week.
That makes a regional heatwave in the south fairly likely by Saturday. If Thursday doesn’t reach 30 degrees, Weeronline expects the milestone to be recorded on Sunday instead.
The Netherlands has never before recorded three heatwaves this early in the year. The closest we’ve come is a hot spell in Eindhoven in 2006, but that third heatwave didn’t turn up until July 15.
A third heatwave landing in the first half of July would beat the record from 2006, with several days to spare.
Could it become an official national heatwave too?
As of July 7, Weeronline is uncertain whether a nationwide heatwave is on the cards. And, even if it unfolds, it won’t break records the way a regional heatwave might.
For a national heatwave to break records, De Bilt (a meteorological monitoring station in Utrecht) has to meet the criteria. It’s uncertain whether temperatures will reach 30 degrees Celsius there by Friday.
Weeronline currently puts the chance of an official national heatwave at around 30%. If it happens, it’d be the second official heatwave this year, and that’s no record, because 1947 already had two before July even started.
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