The highest temperature recorded in the Netherlands during Tuesday’s heatwave was 39.5 Celsius at the Maastricht weather station, weather bureau KNMI has confirmed.

The near record-breaking temperature was recorded at 4.40pm, and 30 minutes later, had dropped to 38.8 Celsius.

Temperatures above 38 Celsius were also recorded in Gelderland, Noord-Brabant, Zeeland and Zuid-Holland, but on the Wadden Islands in the north of the country, 32 Celsius was the maximum reached.

At the De Bilt weather station near Utrecht, where ‘official’ temperatures are recorded, the thermometer tipped 35.5 Celsius.

‘Such temperatures are still rare,’ KNMI climate expert Karin van der Wiel told broadcaster NOS. It is the tenth time temperatures above 35 Celsius have been recorded in De Bilt since records began in 1901.

Tuesday night will be warm and Wednesday morning will start out sunny in the north east. But cloud will gather in the afternoon, and heavy showers are forecast for the evening. The temperature will range from 22 Celsius on the coast to 31 Celsius on the eastern border.