You may have noticed that the weather in the Netherlands has slowly been improving in the last few weeks. With spring finally showing up, it’s almost impossible to think that over a month-and-a-half ago the Netherlands had the coldest start to spring it’s ever had.

This week you’re in for a treat, as not only will the sun be shining, the temperatures will also be rising, giving us our first taste of summer this year.

Dutch summer weather

On Tuesday, April 17, the sun will be shining bright, so bright even that the ultraviolet index will reach 5-6 for the first time this year. The weather will be dry and around 17C to 19C, so no storms to dampen your day. You might want to take out the sun-cream though, as the average Dutch person’s skin can burn within 20 minutes at this time of year under these circumstances.

On Wednesday, April 18, real summer weather sets in and we can expect maximum temperatures of around 24C in the major Dutch cities and 27C in the south of the Netherlands. If temperatures of above 25C are measured at Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) measuring point De Bilt, we will have officially had the first summer day of 2018.

Thursday, April 19, will be the warmest day by far this week, with temperatures rising to approximately 26C to 28C in the majority of the Netherlands. Southern provinces will experience the highest temperatures.

The summery weather in the Netherlands can still be enjoyed on Friday, April 20, with inland temperatures circa 25C in the south and east of the Netherlands and 27C in the southeast.  Temperatures this week are unusually high, as normally around this time of year noon-temperatures are around 10C to 14C.

Back to brisk spring weather

During the weekend, it will most likely be dry with plenty of sun, but it may cloud over from time to time. Temperatures will still be above average for this time of year, but not as warm as the previous few days. We can expect highs of 15C to 18C in coastal provinces, 18C to 21C in the centre of the country and 22C in the south of the Netherlands.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem as though we will be able to hold onto the summery weather. Next week, temperatures will probably revert to normal values for this time of year and the weather will be brisk and fickle, as it generally is during Dutch springtime.