A string of bitterly cold nights loom in the Netherlands and it could be as low as -20 Celsius inland on Saturday night, according to weather bureau Weer.nl.

Minimum temperatures will be between 10 Celsius and 15 Celsius during the coming nights because the skies will clear, Weer.nl said. During the day it will remain below freezing.

From Sunday, however, warmer air will move in from the south west and from Monday there is a 70% chance of a thaw, Weer.nl said.

The KNMI weather bureau puts the chance of a thaw next week at 75%, and is forecasting light rain for Monday and Tuesday.

Heavy frosts have so far caused considerable damage to some roads, leading to jams on the A1, A15 and A27 among others on Wednesday morning.

Skating

Although ice has begun forming and many outdoor rinks are now open, the Dutch lifeboat association is warning people not to take to the ice on large expanses of open water because of the lack of checks.

And the water board association has also warned people not to skate on rivers, because the ice there is unreliable due to changes in water levels.

Nevertheless, water boards nationwide have closed sluices and stopped pumping stations in an effort to encourage the ice to grow.

Check where it is safe to skate