Heavy thunderstorms have put an end to the tropical heat in which the Netherlands was sweltering on Monday and Tuesday. Downpours, hailstones the size of golf balls and strong gusts of wind accompanied the storms.

The severe but seasonal weather caused a lot of local problems, including flooding, fires caused by lightning and fallen trees.

Weather offices had issued timely warnings about the rain front, prompting the railways to scale down their services. The Netherlands' southern provinces were cut off from the rail network for a couple of hours as lightning destroyed essential circuitry and trees were blown onto the tracks.