Temperatures are expected to soar past 30 degrees for the first time in 2021 on Wednesday, marking the first ‘tropical’ day of the year.

The south of the country could reach 32C, while coastal areas are likely to stay a couple of degrees cooler, with around 28C in the north, Weeronline.nl said.

The Netherlands typically has around five ‘tropical’ days per year, defined as a maximum temperature of 30C at the national weather station at De Bilt, Utrecht. If the temperature is above 25C for five days in a row, with at least three above 30C, it is classed as a heatwave.

On Thursday the temperature could reach up to 35C near the German border combined with high humidity, making rural areas feel warmer than the cities.

Nights will bring little relief from the heat, with temperatures of between 17C and 20C in most places.

Conditions could change on Friday with the thermometer dropping to between 25C and 30C and stormy showers likely to move in. On Saturday a north-westerly wind will drive down temperatures to below 25C, but more storms are forecast on Sunday along with conditions of 25C to 30C.

From next Tuesday more seasonal temperatures of around 24C are likely to prevail.