Rain expected for Sint-Maarten lantern walks on Wednesday

Rain is expected in large parts of the Netherlands on Wednesday 11 November, the day children walk door to door with lanterns for Sint-Maarten and the south celebrates the Elfde van de Elfde. Only the far north may stay dry.

Those still outside at night may see shooting stars. About five meteors an hour will be visible during the meteor shower, and because they move slowly, one can look like a passing fireball.

The Red Cross advises carnival revellers to dress warmly in several layers, which helps the body hold its heat during long days and evenings outside. It also says people should keep eating, because food keeps the body going, and should not drink too much alcohol. Alcohol widens the blood vessels, so the body loses heat faster and the risk of hypothermia rises.

Temperatures fall sharply, says Rico Schröder of Weeronline. In the centre and north they will average 3 to 4 degrees, which makes it quite chilly, he says. In the south it is 6 to 7 degrees during the day, but it cools quickly overnight, and in some places frost is possible by Thursday morning.

The showers clear towards the east and south late in the afternoon and in the evening. That helps in the centre and north, where children head out with their lanterns at the start of the evening. In the south it is cloudy and wet. It gradually turns dry in Breda, Tilburg and Eindhoven, but in Limburg a rain jacket is still useful until the end of the evening. "It won't be dry everywhere until later this evening and overnight," Schröder said.

The feast is named after Martin of Tours, a Roman soldier who lived in the fourth century and later became a bishop. He is best known for cutting his cloak in half to share it with a beggar on a cold winter day. 11 November is the day he died.