The Netherlands is experiencing an intense heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach 39 degrees Celsius in some areas on Friday.
The KNMI weather service has issued a Code Red warning for extreme heat, which came into effect at midnight on Thursday.
The warning covers eight provinces, including Noord-Brabant, Gelderland, Utrecht, Limburg, Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Flevoland, and Overijssel.
Other provinces, including Zeeland, Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe, remain under Code Orange, while the Wadden Islands have a lower Code Yellow warning.
The extreme heat has already affected major events across the country. The Defqon.1 hardstyle festival in Biddinghuizen, Flevoland, was cancelled despite thousands of fans being at the campsite.
Q-dance director Sander Bijlstra said the decision was made because visitor and staff safety had become a concern.
“There comes a point where the safety of the visitors and staff becomes an issue and that point was the code red warning,” he said.
Authorities have also warned people about the dangers of swimming in unsafe areas during the heatwave.
Rivers have been identified as especially risky due to strong currents.
Three people died while swimming on Thursday.
A 19-year-old man drowned after jumping from a bridge into the Spiegelwaal near Nijmegen. In Utrecht, a missing 13-year-old boy was later found dead in the Strijkviertelplas.
Police in Middelaar, Limburg, are also investigating the death of a person following a collision with a boat. The boat driver has been arrested.
Scientists say climate change is contributing to the severity of the heatwave.
A study by World Weather Attribution found that extreme June temperatures in Europe were much rarer 50 years ago and have become more common due to rising global temperatures caused by fossil fuel emissions.
KNMI researcher Sjoukje Philips said the findings were expected but the speed and spread of recent heatwaves have been surprising.
