Thursday is set to be the first official ‘warm’ day of the year, with the temperature forecast to reach 20 Celsius at the De Bilt weather station near Hilversum.

The morning started chilly but the temperatures will rise as the day progresses and could reach as much as 22 Celsius in the south. It will be breezy, particularly on the coast.

However, the warm weather will be short-lived and it is likely to be no warmer than 11 Celsius with rain on Friday and over the weekend, the KNMI weather bureau said.