The continuing dry weather is allowing increasing quantities of sea water to enter the North Sea Canal, making its water much more salty, the Noord-Holland water authority says.

Seawater flows into the canal at the IJmuiden lock but is usually counteracted by the fresh river water that flows out into the sea.
However, the dry spring has seen river levels fall, allowing more sea water to penetrate the canal, says the water authority. This is making it difficult to keep salt water away from agricultural land.