Monday was the warmest second day of Easter since records began, weather forecaster Weerplaza reported. The temperature at the De Bilt weather station near Utrecht reached 24.8 degrees, just 0.2 degrees short of making it the first official summery day this year.

Elsewhere in the country temperatures were higher still. The record for both Easter days is still headed by 2011 when the average temperature was 25 degrees.

As Easter is a moveable feast, the chances of sunshine are much greater in April than in March. Of the hot days recorded for Easter since record keeping began in 1901, six occurred in April and one in March. A notable exception was Easter 1917 when temperatures in April dropped to a chilly 4.9 degrees.

The KNMI weather bureau says temperatures will drop as the week progresses and there will be more chance of rain. Saturday, Kings Day, is set to be a mixed bag, with a high chance of rain and temperatures no higher than 15 degrees.