Overview
- Meteorological services reported that Tuesday, 26 May produced widespread tropical daytime temperatures and several day and regional records, with official stations recording highs such as Deelen 31.7°C and Eindhoven about 31.8°C.
- Weeronline and regional networks said 26 May was the warmest 26 May since national records began in 1901, making it the first broadly tropical day of the year for many parts of the country.
- Authorities put contingency measures in place during the heat peak: Rijkswaterstaat activated its heat protocol to aid stranded motorists and Defensie suspended exercises involving explosives, open fire and pyrotechnics because of wildfire risk.
- The heat had immediate social and economic effects, drawing crowds to beaches and ice‑cream parlours, prompting some schools to adapt activities, and advancing agricultural timing such as earlier cherry picking.
- Cooler northerly air arrived by 27 May with daytime highs dropping into the low‑to‑mid 20s, forecasters expect a brief re‑warming later in the week and a higher chance of rain or thunderstorms toward the weekend, and separate local incidents reported during the same period included a working synthetic drug lab found in Babberich and a large café‑restaurant fire in Neede.