After a record-breaking sunny start to the meteorological spring, winter returns to the Netherlands this week with chilly days and night frosts.

The sun shone for almost 90 hours in the first 10 days of March, and that just beats the record set in March 2022, weather bureau Weeronline said. There was also no rain to speak of, and that means a record dry start to the month as well.

Three national temperature records were set on March 6,7 and 8 and there was a new local record in Gelderland on March 8, when the temperature hit 20°, making it the first “warm” day of the year.

All that, however, changes from Tuesday, when the cloud returns and the temperatures drop to no more than 8° in the coming days. Night frosts are also back on the cards.

The sun will, however, break through from time to time from Wednesday onwards and there may also be light showers in places. The KNMI long-range forecast envisages more of the same into the second half of the month.