Meteorological office KNMI has issued a ‘code yellow’ warning for Wednesday afternoon as winds of up to 100 km/h are expected to sweep across the country.

The strongest gusts are expected in north-western areas including Friesland, Noord-Holland and the Wadden islands, where hail and thunderstorms are also forecast from 8pm.

The stormy conditions are set to continue into Thursday morning in coastal areas, as winds from the south-west continue to buffer the country with gusts of up to 75 km/h.

Highways agency Rijkswaterstaat has warned commuters to expect heavy rush-hour traffic on Thursday because of the high rainfall and strong winds. Motorists are advised to ‘consider other options or work from home as much as possible.’

Temperatures are forecast to remain above the seasonal average until Saturday, with maximums of 11C, before dropping into single figures next week.