News | RIVM

National Heatwave Plan to be activated on 10 August

After consulting the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), RIVM has decided to activate the National Heatwave Plan in all Dutch provinces as of 10 August 2022.

National Heatwave Plan no longer in effect, smog alert withdrawn

As of Thursday, 21 July 2022, the National Heatwave Plan is no longer in effect. RIVM also withdraws the smog alert.

Smog alert in the Netherlands Tuesday 19 July

Just as in recent days, today 19 July there is a risk of smog across the Netherlands due to high ozone concentrations.

National Heatwave Plan active as of 18 July and smog warning throughout the Netherlands

It is warm and the heat will continue over the coming days. For many people, this means enjoying the beach or garden. For others, heat can be less enjoyable.

New test for Lyme disease is not reliable

To determine whether someone has Lyme disease, doctors in the Netherlands often use antibody tests. For some time now, so-called cellular tests have been available on the market.

Verschillende commerciële laboratoria gebruiken zogeheten cellulaire testen voor Lyme. Helaas zijn niet betrouwbaar.

Ten years of Tick Radar 80,000 tick bite reports; chances of being bitten highest in Drenthe

After recording 80,000 tick bites in 10 years via Tekenradar.nl, we now know that you are most likely to be bitten by a tick in Drenthe. Quickly removing the tick halves the chance of contracting Lyme disease.

Spread of tick-borne encephalitis virus in the Netherlands

Every year about 1.5 million ticks bite someone in the Netherlands, especially between March and October. Most people will not get sick of that.

EU air policy gives an average of 6 extra years of life in the Netherlands

Since the 1970s, European policies to improve air quality have resulted in fewer emissions in many countries.

Higher mortality during heatwave in July in the Netherlands

During the last heatwave, almost 400 more deaths were reported than was expected on overage for that period. The additional deaths mainly concerned persons aged 75 years and older.

National Heat Plan no longer in effect as of July 29th

As of Monday, 29 July, the National Heat Plan is no longer in effect. The Heat Plan had been active from July 23rd until July 28th. Never before has it been as hot as last week in the Netherlands.