After a cold spring, temperatures are set to rise to the mid-twenties this week – but heavy showers could be on the way by the weekend, forecasters have warned.

Most of the country will reach 22C to 25C on Monday, except for the Wadden islands, where cloudy skies will keep the temperature down to around 16, weeronline predicts.

A light north-east wind will keep conditions cooler in northern provinces, but most of the country is expected to enjoy dry, sunny spells until Wednesday, with a chance of 27C in parts of the south.

Light showers could arrive in the south on Wednesday evening, but the real change will be felt on Thursday, when heavy clouds and stormy showers are forecast for the end of the day. Temperatures will remain high at up to 26C.

The rest of the week will bring some short, intense downpours, but also sunny periods, with temperatures of between 19C and 25C. Next week the weather is likely to be be drier but also a few degrees cooler.

On Sunday the thermometer at De Bilt peaked at 21.4C, passing 20 degrees for the first time in three weeks and only the fourth day this year so far. The highest temperature recorded at the central weather station in 2021 is 24.9C on May 9.