Showers and chilly temperatures for Ascension weekend

Ascension Day has brought showers and unusually cold temperatures to the Netherlands, with the wet weather set to continue through the long weekend before brightening on Sunday, according to weather bureau Weeronline.

Thursday began with downpours across the country from early morning, with a chance of hail, thunder and gusty winds. Forecasters advised anyone marking the day with an early-morning walk, a Dutch tradition known as dauwtrappen, to take a raincoat: temperatures were around 7° at 8am.

Daytime temperatures will reach only around 12°, against a mid-May average of 16° to 19°. The heaviest afternoon showers are expected in the southeast, while the northwest stays largely dry with some sunshine. A moderate northerly wind will make it feel cooler.

The weather service KNMI had no warnings for the weekend. Clear spells overnight into Friday will allow temperatures to drop to between 2° and 7°, with ground frost possible inland. Ascension Day also marks the end of the “ice saints”, the mid-May period traditionally seen as the last with a real risk of frost.

Friday and Saturday will stay showery, but with less rain than Thursday and more dry intervals. Saturday will reach 12° to 14°.

The wind will turn to the southwest on Sunday, bringing drier and sunnier weather and temperatures of 14° to 17°. That is close to normal for the time of year, though still slightly below average.

Temperatures are expected to climb further next week, rising above 20° inland.