Thaw to set in on Sunday
Preparations are being made for the outdoor marathon championships on Friday. Photo: Novum
Warm air is being forced in the direction of the Netherlands by a deep depression and the thaw will set in on Sunday, weather forecasters said on Thursday.
At first the country will be hit by more snow, but this will quickly change to rain, leading to black ice on the roads.
In the meantime, cold nights and days will continue, with some sunny periods.
The heavy night frosts mean skaters have been able to make the most of the ice in many places and the first organised tours will take place on Thursday.
Today, some 17,000 people turned out to skate an organised route around Giethoorn, leading safety experts to call a halt as the sheer volume of people led to queues and a deterioration in ice quality.
On Friday, the Dutch outdoor championships will take place on the Veluwemeer lake.
By Wednesday it could be as warm as 10 or 11 Celsius with a south-west wind and rain, the Telegraaf reported.
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