Snow fell across central, eastern and northern parts of the Netherlands early on Thursday morning, creating slippery conditions again on many roads.

The KNMI weather bureau issued a code yellow weather warning for northern and eastern parts of the country.

Although weather forecasters had said snow was on its way, the amount of snow – up to several centimetres in places – caught people by surprise, leading to long traffic jams. The A1 and A2 were particularly badly affected.

More wintry showers, with sleet and possibly hail, are expected to move over the country later in the day but are not expected to cause problems.

Despite the continuing wintry weather, there is little chance of a white Christmas in the Netherlands this year, weather bureau Weerplaza said.

The weather will remain changeable in the coming days, with temperatures of around five degrees and most forecasters expect mild, wet weather over the Christmas break.