Overview
- De Bilt reached 30.2°C on Thursday, confirming the first official heatwave of 2026 and matching the longest June heatwaves on record.
- The country has seen multiple record warm nights, including a 22.6°C minimum in Rotterdam, and forecasters expect several more tropical nights that will limit overnight cooling.
- KNMI issued a code red for large parts of the Netherlands because daytime highs may top the high 30s and the persistent high night minima raise health and infrastructure risks.
- Transport operators and service providers have changed plans to reduce risk, with rail services cut on some routes, bus firms warning of outages, exams and court hearings postponed, and events either cancelled or operating with strict heat measures.
- Scientists say the scale and frequency of these June extremes are far more likely now than decades ago, increasing the expectation of similar episodes and raising concern for vulnerable people, emergency services and critical infrastructure.