There was a widespread frost in most of the Netherlands on Wednesday night, with the ground temperature dipping to as low as -9 in the far east of Gelderland, weather bureau Weeronline said in the AD.

In some places, motorists had to scratch ice from their car windscreens and fruit growers were forced to spray their crops with water to protect the blooms.

On Thursday night it will be less cold as cloud moves in although it may be around freezing point in the south east, Weeronline said.

The long-range forecast does not promise much in the way of good weather for King’s Day on April 27. ‘The entire school break will chilly, with temperatures of between 10 and 15 degrees,’ weather forecaster Raymond Klaassen told the AD. ‘On King’s Day it looks so far as if it will be between 10 and 12 degrees.’

Temperatures of 15 degrees during the day and as low as six degrees at night are normal for the time of year.