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A severe summer drought has overwhelmed Dutch animal rescue groups with dehydrated hedgehogs, birds, and waterfowl. Organisations like Egelopvang Midden Nederland and Vogelopvang Utrecht are urging the public to call the dierenambulance for animals in distress. Meanwhile, the Dierenbescherming warns pet owners to cool down hot dogs from the paws up to prevent dangerous physical shock.

Emergency services have successfully contained a major fire that broke out early on Saturday morning near the A44 motorway. While the blaze was prevented from spreading to nearby homes, smoke continues to cause disruption for local traffic. Motorway slip roads in the area remain closed as firefighters manage the aftermath.

The KNMI has downgraded weather warnings in the western Netherlands to code yellow as coastal heat begins to lift, though code orange and red alerts remain active across central and eastern provinces. While the extreme temperatures are expected to subside by mid-evening, the safety institute warns that severe thunderstorms with high wind gusts and hail will sweep across the country overnight.

The KNMI has issued an orange alert due to thunderstorms and warns that there is a local risk of disruption and damage caused by rain, strong gusts of wind, large hailstones, and lightning.

A study by the World Weather Attribution group and the KNMI concludes that Europe's current heatwave is "unmistakably" driven by climate change, making today's extreme temperatures virtually impossible fifty years ago. Researchers found that a similar weather pattern in 1976 would have been about 3.5°C cooler, while the current stifling nights are now over a hundred times more likely than during the major 2003 heatwave due to fossil fuel emissions. With nearly half of 854 monitored European cities hitting their highest-ever heat stress levels, Red Cross and climate experts warn of a dangerous gap between rapid global warming and infrastructure that simply wasn't built to withstand it.

A code red weather alarm has been issued for large parts of the Netherlands as extreme heat and high humidity move across the country. Temperatures are expected to climb up to 40 degrees Celsius locally, triggering the activation of the National Heat Plan. Urban areas will face particularly warm nights, with temperatures staying well above 20 degrees Celsius.

The KNMI has issued a yellow weather warning for Saturday evening as severe thunderstorms are forecast to sweep across the entire Netherlands, bringing a turbulent end to a record-breaking heatwave. The weather institute warns of localized damage and disruption from torrential downpours, large hailstones up to five centimetres in size, and destructive wind gusts reaching up to 100 kilometres per hour. The sudden shift in weather follows an amber alert for extreme heat, which saw Friday officially recorded as the hottest 26 June in Dutch history.

Albert Heijn will stop grocery deliveries nationwide from 3:00 PM on Friday due to the KNMI’s code red heat warning. The supermarket says employee safety comes first. Deliveries are expected to resume Saturday morning, while customers are asked to visit stores or reschedule orders.