With temperatures set to reach up to 34 Celsius this weekend, the Netherlands is gearing up for the hottest weekend of the year, various media report on Friday.

The sea rescue service is bringing in extra lifeguards to keep an eye on beach-goers and doubling the size of crews in some popular resorts. Dutch Rail (NS) said it is laying on extra trains to Hoek van Holland and Zandvoort to cope with the expected rush to the coast.
According to weather bureau Weeronline, this weekend will be the warmest since July 1994, when the temperature averaged 32.4 Celsius. It is the first time this summer temperatures will have risen above 30 Celsius in the Netherlands.
However, the public health institute RIVM warned on Friday that parts of the country may be hit by smog towards the end of both Saturday and Sunday.
It will remain in the mid-20s into next week although the chance of rain will increase, the KNMI weather bureau said.