November has already been the wettest month ever in the Netherlands, without even being over! The month has so far seen more than double the average rainfall in the Netherlands.
November is not the only wet month the Netherlands has seen so far in 2023, in fact, the entire season looks set to be up there with the wettest Dutch autumns ever recorded. The meteorological autumn runs from September 1 to November 30 in the Netherlands, and the weather has this year been relatively mild in terms of temperature.
Climate scientists put this down to climate change. The warm temperatures, coupled with the increased rainfall, are symptomatic of the climate change taking place due to global warming. “The temperature rise can be clearly linked to the Netherlands warming up because of climate change,” said NOS weatherman Peter Kuipers Munneke. “Autumn has been warming up for decades and is now 1.7 degrees warmer than a century ago. This autumn has been two degrees warmer still.”
According to new climate forecasts released by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), the Netherlands will have warmer summers and wetter winters as the planet continues to heat up. Kuipers Munneke added that higher temperatures also lead to more rain, with the amount of precipitation increasing by around seven millimetres for every extra degree in temperature.
The KNMI thinks there will also be less frost and fewer cold days in future winters. “It will be warmer every season, with more tropical days and fewer occasions when it freezes all day,” the agency said.
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