Temps could rise above 30°C again this weekend; Holiday traffic expected

More hot weather is ahead as the summer vacation starts for the southern region of the Netherlands. Their summer vacation will begin with sunshine and quickly increasing temperatures this weekend, Weeronline reported on Friday. Some places may even become tropically warm again on Sunday. The ANWB doesn’t expect the south’s summer vacation to cause extra traffic on Dutch roads but does warn about traffic jams abroad.

On Friday, maximum temperatures will still be between 21 degrees on the beaches and 24 degrees in the south. Saturday morning will have some cloud fields, but soon it will be quite sunny. Some cumulus clouds will develop in the afternoon, Weeronline predicts. The south and center can expect summer temperatures between 25 and 27 degrees. The north will be a bit cooler at 23 degrees.

On Sunday, the temperatures will rise further, and the mercury could reach 32 degrees locally, especially in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Noord-Brabant, and Limburg. The beaches will be slightly less warm due to wind from the sea, at 25 to 27 degrees. A thunderstorm could develop in the south on Sunday evening.

It is now officially summer vacation for all school kids in the Netherlands. Vacation started for the Zuid region - Gelderland, Limburg, Noord-Brabant, and Zeeland - today. The Midden region was the first to start the holiday two weeks ago, and the Noord region started last week.

People traveling abroad by car this weekend should take peak crowds into account, according to the ANWB. In France, it will be busy on the A7 from Lyon to Orange and the A10 between Tours and Bordeaux. The ANWB advises holidaymakers to travel south on the A29 via Limoges and Brive.

In Germany, traffic may build up on the A8 from Munich to Salzburg, Austria. In Austria, traffic jams are likely on the A10 from Salzburg to Villach. In Switzerland, the St. Gotthard tunnel on the A2 is the biggest bottleneck.

In Italy, travelers’ patience will be tested on the popular holiday route to Lake Garda and Tuscany from the Brenner Pass towards Verona. Roads will also be busy in the Balkan countries Slovenia and Croatia.

In the Netherlands, work on the Zuidaskdok in Amsterdam will close part of the A4 and A10 South highways for the next eleven days. Road users can expect extra travel time of up to an hour. Traffic will be diverted via the A9 and A5.

The closure affects the A4 and A10 south towards Hengelo (A1) and Utrecht (A2) from the Badhoevedorp junction to the S109 RAI slip road. It starts at 10:00 p.m. on Friday and will last until 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 3. Station Zuid will remain accessible by train but with an adjusted timetable. Metros and buses will run like normal.