Nationwide heat warning as temperatures set to reach 36°

The national heat plan has been extended to the whole of the Netherlands from Monday, with maximum temperatures forecast to reach 36° in the south.

Despite its name, the plan is a warning rather than a set of measures. It carries no legal force and requires nothing to close or stop.

The public health institute RIVM uses it to tell care organisations, health professionals and family carers that hot weather is coming, so they can adjust the support they give to elderly and vulnerable people.

RIVM activated the plan on 29 July for Limburg, Noord-Brabant, Gelderland and Overijssel and has not stood it down since. It is the third activation of the year, after extreme heat in June and July.

Code yellow until Tuesday
The KNMI weather service has issued a code yellow warning for heat running until midnight on Tuesday.

Monday will be sunny and dry, with highs ranging from 28° on the Wadden Islands to 36° in places in the south. A shower or thunderstorm is possible in the southeast in the evening.

The night into Tuesday will stay warm, with temperatures in the larger cities not dropping far below 20°.

Tuesday will reach 30° to 33° by early afternoon, warmest in the southeast and east, before cooling from the west. Thunderstorms are likely in the east of the country.

RIVM advises people to check on vulnerable neighbours and relatives, encourage them to drink more than usual, keep homes cool with blinds or fans, and move errands to before midday or after 6pm.

The heat should ease from Wednesday, with a maximum of 27° forecast, followed by 23° on Thursday and 22° on Friday.