Editor in chief at IamExpat Media
It can’t have escaped your notice that the weather in the Netherlands has been exceptionally wet of late - even rainier than usual. Statistics have now confirmed that the first six months of 2024 were the wettest ever recorded.
According to figures from Weeronline, a total of 570 millimetres of rain fell in the Netherlands in the six months from January to June 2024, way above the average of 362 millimetres, and significantly more than the previous record of 501 millimetres, which was set in 2016. Rainfall was especially high in the months of April and May, when new monthly records were set, and in January and February.
In fact, the wet spell has been ongoing since last July, with a huge 1.287 millimetres of rain falling over the last 12 months. That’s the most rainfall recorded in a 12-month period since March 1998 to February 1999, when 1.150 millimetres of rain fell.
Thanks to the above-average volume of rainfall over the last 12 months, groundwater levels in the Netherlands have been unusually high for months on end, bringing bouts of flash flooding, road closures and disruptions to public transport.
According to Weeronline, the first six months of 2024 were also unusually warm, bringing in an average temperature of 10,5 degrees celsius, above the average of 8,7 degrees. The only time we have ever had a warmer first six months of the year was in 2007, when the average temperature hit 10,9 degrees.
However, that warmth hasn’t been especially noticeable over the last few weeks, with the Dutch summer trying and mostly failing to appear. Weeronline notes that warm spring weather has been largely absent in 2024. Instead, the reason for the high average temperature is the fact that the winter months were unseasonably mild, with the temperature dropping below zero on just 18 nights - far fewer than the 36 that is typical.
June itself has been colder than usual, clocking in at an average of 15,8 degrees, lower than the monthly average of 16,4 degrees. Since January 1, we’ve seen 30 days when the maximum temperature was 20 degrees or more. This is slightly less than the average of 32 days.
Looking forward, July is set to kick off with a mixed bag of clouds, rain and sunny spells, with unsettled conditions holding sway until at least the middle of the month, when more balmy temperatures of 21 to 24 degrees might be on the cards.
Thumb image credit: Cagla calisir / Shutterstock.com