Skaters get three hours on natural ice as first frost arrives

The first frost has appeared after temperatures dropped below freezing overnight in parts of the Netherlands, in Brabant, Limburg and parts of Zeeland, according to the national weather service KNMI.

It also allowed the season’s first natural ice skating in Gelderland for a couple of hours in early morning.

The lowest temperature was recorded in Woensdrecht in Brabant, at minus 1.2°. Ell in Limburg reached minus 1.1° and Westdorpe in Zeeland minus 0.4°.

It does not yet count as an official frost day though. For that, the temperature at the KNMI’s base in De Bilt, near Utrecht, has to fall below zero. Overnight it stayed at 0.8° there.

In Winterswijk, in Gelderland, the local skating club opened the country’s first natural ice rink of the season, even though there was only ground frost there. The club uses special techniques to make ice quickly.

“When you tell people that, they say ‘it can’t be done’. But it can,” chairman Auke Spijkstra told broadcaster NOS. “It’s wonderful to see all those enthusiastic people.” About 20 skaters took to the ice. The sun soon melted it, and the rink closed again at around 10am.