Rain, hail and thunder will move over the north and west of the Netherlands on Thursday, bringing an end to the heatwave which saw record-breaking temperatures last week.

‘We’ve become used to the heat over the past few weeks but that is now at an end, for now,’ Buienrader weather forecaster Nicolien Kroon said. ‘There will be storms west of Groningen, Utrecht and Zeeland and showers in the rest of the country.’

Showers interspersed with sunny spells will continue into Friday, but the weekend should be dry, with temperatures around 23 degrees, which is normal for the time of year, Kroon said.

Next week more rain is likely and that picture remains constant well into August, according to the KNMI’s long range forecast.