The astronomical summer begins on Thursday evening, with the longest day, but the weather remains wet and windy, weather forecasters say.

Wednesday will provide a welcome break after a wet Tuesday, with plenty of sunshine and no rain, while Thursday will start out promising better weather as well. But the likelihood of rain and thunderstorms will increase as the day continues – some of which will bring Saharan sand.

Friday, the first day of summer, will have heavy showers and plenty of wind, and the weekend will also be rainy at times, with temperatures in the low 20s. But there should also be plenty of sunshine to dry off in, especially if you are attending one of the weekend festivals, like Pinkpop.

There is a reasonable chance of warmer and drier weather in the final week of the month, and a 40% chance of summery temperatures of at least 25°, Weeronline said. The KNMI weather bureau says the long-term forecast is still very uncertain, with a 50:50 chance of lower or higher temperatures than average.