A woman in the Brabant town of Goirle was killed on Friday afternoon after being hit by lightning as heavy storms moved into the Netherlands from the south.

The KNMI meteorlogical office issued a weather warning late on Friday afternoon. In particular, the amount of lightning – up to 500 strikes within five minutes – was abnormal, the KNMI said. ‘This happens at most once a year,’ a spokesman told ANP.
As the storm moved across the country, police in Gouda and Leiden said they had had many reports of localised flooding.
At the same time, the KNMI issued a warning about the intensity of sunlight over the next few days. UV levels are set to reach factor seven – almost the maximum recorded in the Netherlands, the KNMI said.