The official start of winter on Friday is expected to be marked by a sharp drop in temperatures over the weekend, with inland areas barely rising above freezing.

Weather bureau Weeronline.nl warned of frost for the next few nights, with hail showers on the coast and a light dusting of snow further inland. On Friday night temperatures could drop to as low as minus 5, rising to between 1 and 5 by day.

Weeronline also said ‘grey and cold’ conditions were likely on Saturday morning, with a risk of fog for motorists. However, the weather is expected to get warmer at the start of next week, with temperatures of around 8 degrees on Tuesday.

The cold snap follows a relatively mild November, with average temperatures across the month of 7.3 degrees, half a degree above the average. Rainfall (87mm) and sunshine (62) hours were around the average level.