January 24, 2018, was the warmest January 24 in the Netherlands since the recording of temperatures began in 1901.
According to measurements from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), the 1960 record temperature of 12,1 degrees Celsius at De Bilt was broken at 6.50 am.This was only the start of the day, and temperatures continued to rise during the midday to highs of 14,7 degrees in some parts of the country.
These temperatures are generally considered to be normal around mid-April and can be attributed to a strong south-westerly wind. Despite the high temperatures, it was not sunny on January 24; in fact, it was overcast and rained in the evening in parts of the Netherlands.
The cold days in the Netherlands are warming up and whilst the records for warm days are broken yearly, the records for cold days are becoming increasingly rare. Over the last 100 years, Dutch winter temperatures have increased on average by 1,3 degrees Celsius.
It is clear to see that the climate in the Netherlands is warming up. This being said, the warm weather of January 24 is not here to stay. On January 25, highs of nine degrees Celsius and lows of seven degrees Celsius are expected, and throughout the weekend the temperature is expected to decrease.