Skating fanatics are being warned to stay away from the new ice forming on open water after three nights of heavy frost, because the ice is still unreliable.

‘It is still too soon to skate on open water,’ Carl Mureau, of the Dutch skating association KNSB, told website Nu.nl. ‘We want everyone to enjoy skating, but safety is paramount. We don’t want anyone to go through the ice or to be involved in other accidents.’

The association has a special website section where skaters can find out which outdoor rinks are open and if open water ice is safe.

Meanwhile, the first marathon on natural ice this winter will take place at the Haaksbergen outdoor rink in Twente. Water sprayed onto the club’s concrete circuit has now frozen to a depth of four to five centimetres, making it possible to organise the competition.

Haaksbergen krijgt de primeur! Vanavond wordt de eerste marathon op natuurijs verreden. #meermarathonhttps://t.co/ItaJ9bGT9C pic.twitter.com/NWDEUujZEw

— KNSB (@KNSB) January 21, 2019

There may be little opportunity for skating fans to skate outdoors. Frost will continue throughout the week but snowfall forecast for Tuesday is likely to hamper the growth of the ice. And daytime temperatures will rise as the week progresses, the KNMI weather bureau says.

The snow will hit the west of the country around 8am on Tuesday and move slowly eastwards. Up to three centimetres of snow is forecast.

Winter weather photos