“There are finally good prospects,” says meteorologist Roosmarijn Knol of Weeronline. “The temperature is going up considerably because the wind comes from the south and warm air from the Mediterranean is brought in. Monday it can already rise to 17 degrees in the south and Tuesday the sun will break through in many places and it will be 20 degrees. In the southeast we even expect temperatures of 22 degrees. That will be perfect terrace weather and ideal for running, walking and cycling! The coats can also be taken off in the afternoon. It’s just too cold to lie on the beach.”
Sahara dust
Moreover, according to Weer.nl, Sahara dust is once again on its way to the Netherlands. Tuesday and Wednesday there is a chance that many cars and skylights will be covered with a layer of dust, as was the case in mid-March.
Ecologist Jan Doevendans is delighted with these weather reports. “Nature is like a pizza: everything starts at the bottom. When the temperature rises above 14 degrees, everything wakes up! Then the grass will grow and insects can fly again. Because below that temperature, the ‘hinges’ in their exoskeleton are still attached.”
We can therefore expect another real invasion of, among other things, bees and mosquitoes from next week, he says. “And that is also important for the birds, such as the blackbirds, because they can then feed on it. That’s why they start laying eggs again. The swift vacuums 20,000 insects from the air every day!”
Next week is therefore the ideal time to plant new plants in the garden or, for example, to place bird houses or ‘insect hotels’, says gardener Lodewijk Hoekstra. “Because we can now rule out the severe frost. It is also nice for the birds, butterflies and bees if you can plant flowering plants with nectar and, for example, berry-bearing species. Think of the daisy and the hawthorn.”
If it stays dry for longer, it is also wise to water the plants by hand in the evening, he says. Hoekstra strongly advises against switching on the oscillating sprinkler continuously, because this can make plants ‘lazy’ and then absorb less water on their own.
Barbecue
At the same time, the beautiful weather means that the barbecue can finally come out of the shed. But how do you make the best meat? According to barbecue expert Jord Althuizen, who will publish the book ‘Smokey Goodness Brand New BBQ’ next week, it is important to keep the lid on. ,,Together with the air slides, you can then control the temperature a lot better. If you want to grill meat immediately and quickly, with smaller pieces such as satay, hamburgers and steaks, the ideal temperature is between 180 and 230 degrees. If you want to smoke the meat more slowly, with larger pieces such as pork belly and spare ribs, then 110 degrees is a good starting point.”
He also emphasizes that you should not spread barbecue sauce on the meat at the beginning of the grilling process. “It contains a lot of sugars, so that the meat burns much faster. There is also a danger with pre-marinated meat, so you have to start more carefully.”
Perhaps his most important tip: give yourself time. “Meat like spareribs just have to sit on it for four hours. You can remove burgers, steaks and sausages within half an hour.”
Knol van Weeronline expects that we have now really put the winter behind us. ,,It will cool down a bit towards the weekend and the chance of a little rain will increase, but we will no longer drop below 10 degrees. In the weeks that follow, we seem to be reaching the usual temperatures, with about 12 to 15 degrees. Occasionally it will rain, but there will also be quite sunny periods. That makes us happy!”