The average Dutch person loves complaining about the weather in the Netherlands, but is the weather here really that fickle? What is the average temperature per season? And does it really rain that much in the Netherlands? Read on and find out!
The Netherlands enjoys a moderate maritime (or oceanic) climate. This type of climate generally features mild winters and cool summers. Precipitation, such as rain, is common throughout the year, which means there is no dry season.
Within the Netherlands, a distinction can be made between regional climates:
On average, the northern provinces experience lower temperatures compared to the southern provinces. In summer, the southern provinces enjoy a warmer climate. Generally, the east of Brabant and the very north of Limburg are the warmest parts of the Netherlands in the summer months.
In the autumn and winter months, the coastal provinces in the south-west, west and north-east have a milder climate than the east and the north-east of the Netherlands.
Generally, the coastal provinces also enjoy more hours of sunlight than the rest of the country. However, right after the summer and during the autumn, the coastal provinces experience the heaviest rain showers. These heavy rain showers are activated by the warm sea water.
Dutch weather differs per season, although autumn and spring can be quite similar in terms of precipitation and temperature.
Astronomically, spring starts on March 20. However, meteorological spring lasts from March 1 until June 1 in the northern hemisphere.
The average temperature in the Netherlands during spring is 9,5 degrees celsius. The amount of sun and rain during this time varies greatly. From 1981 - 2010, an average of 240,7 milimetres of rain fell during spring in the Netherlands, and the sun shone for 314,2 hours.
The coldest spring recorded by the KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) in the Netherlands since 1706 was the spring of 1962, with an average temperature of 6,7 degrees. Looking at the top 10, the coldest springs occurred at the beginning of the second half of the 20th century. The coldest spring in this century took place in 2013 with an average of 7,4 degrees.
The warmest spring in the history of the Netherlands happened in 2024, with an average temperature of 11,8 degrees. It is interesting to note that nine out of the 10 warmest springs occurred in the 21st century, the only exception being the spring of 1998.
Astronomically, summer starts on June 21. However, meteorological summer starts on June 1 and lasts until September 1 in the northern hemisphere.
Generally, Dutch summers are warm, but not too hot. The average temperature in the Netherlands during summer is 17,0 degrees. From 1981 - 2010, the average amount of rain that fell in the Netherlands adds up to 219,6 milimetres, whilst the average amount of sunshine comes to 587,6 hours.
The coldest summer took place in 1907, with an average temperature of 14,1 degrees. The top 10 of the coldest Dutch summers does not include any summers from the 21st century. In fact, all of the coldest summers took place during the first half of the 20th century, with eight summers taking place before 1930.
The warmest summer ever recorded by the KNMI took place in 2018, with an average temperature of 18,9 degrees. The top 10 of the warmest summers includes only one summer not in the 21st century, namely the summer of 1976, when the average temperature was 18,4 degrees. Of the top 10 warmest summers ever recorded, five happened in the last 10 years.
Astronomically, autumn starts on September 23. However, in the Netherlands, meteorological autumn starts on September 1 and ends on December 1.
The average temperature in the Netherlands during autumn is 10,6 degrees. Generally, autumn is the wettest season in the Netherlands, with November being the month with the most precipitation. However, on average (from 1981 - 2010), 240,7 milimetres of rain falls during Dutch autumn, and people can enjoy 314,2 hours of sun this season.
The coldest autumn ever recorded by the KNMI happened in 1952, with an average temperature of 7,6 degrees. However, the first 25 years of the first half of the 20th century seemed to be particularly cold during autumn as the top 10 features seven years from this time period (1902, 1905, 1912, 1915, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1925).
The warmest autumn in the history of the Netherlands took place in 2006, with an average temperature of 13,6 degrees. The top 10 warmest Dutch autumns all took place in the 21st century, with the most recent autumns of 2022, 2023 and 2024 all rocketing straight into the record book.
Astronomically, winter in the Netherlands starts on December 21. However, meteorological winter starts on December 1 and ends on March 1 on the northern hemisphere.
The average temperature in the Netherlands during winter is 3,4 degrees. Generally, this season experiences the least hours of sunshine, which also makes it the coldest season. From 1981 - 2010, the country experienced 197,3 hours of sunshine on average in winter, whilst 201,2 milimetres of rain fell.
The coldest winter ever recorded by the KNMI happened in 1963, with an average temperature of -3,0C degrees. However, it seems like the 1940s were especially cold, with four years from this decade appearing in the top 10 coldest Dutch winters, namely 1947 (no. 2), 1940 (no. 3), 1942 (no. 4) and 1941 (no. 10).
The warmest winter ever recorded took place in 2007, with an average temperature of 6,5 degrees. Of the top 10 warmest winters in the Netherlands, six took place in the 21st century (2007, 2020, 2024, 2016, 2014 and 2022).
So, does it really rain that much in the Netherlands? One would think so since people love to complain about the weather here, but actually, it’s not that bad.
The average annual rainfall in the Netherlands is only 790 milimetres. As a comparison, what some call the wettest place on earth, Maysynram in India, has an average annual rainfall of 11.871 milimetres. And inside of Europe? Well, Crkvice in Montenegro receives around 4.600 milimetres of rainfall each year, and Dalness in Scotland receives an average rainfall of 3.300 milimetres each year.
So, why do people complain about the Dutch weather so much then? This might have something to do with the unpredictability of the weather here. There is no clear dry season or wet season. It rains all year long, but the amount of rain that falls is nothing compared to what falls in, for example, the tropics.
Want to avoid the rain as much as possible? Avoid the Veluwe, Drenthe and the south of Limburg. These places are the wettest places in the Netherlands.
Here are some interesting weather records:
According to measurements from the KNMI, The Netherlands has had 33 cold waves since 1901. For a period to be called a cold wave, it needs to consist of at least five consecutive ice days (temperature lower than 0 degrees), with at least three days of severe frost (temperature lower than -10,0 degrees). The longest one took place in 1947 and lasted for 21 days.
The coldest day in the Netherlands ever was measured on January 27 in 1942 by Jaap Langedijk in Winterswijk. That day it was -27,4 degrees. It was said that a lot of people went to bed with their coats on that day.
For a period to be called a heat wave, it needs to consist of at least five consecutive summer days (25,0 degrees or higher), with at least three tropical days (30,0 degrees or higher). The Netherlands has experienced a total of 24 heat waves since 1901. The longest heat wave took place in 1975 and lasted for 18 days.
The hottest day ever in the Netherlands was measured on July 25, 2019 in Gilze-Rijen. That day, it was 40,7 degrees.
The Koninklijk Nederlands Metereologosch Instituut (KNMI) or the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, is the national weather forecasting service in the Netherlands. The KNMI was founded in 1854 by Buys Ballot, and is located in the province of Utrecht, in De Bilt. Besides weather forecasting, the KNMI is responsible for the monitoring of climate changes and seismic activity.
Since the weather in the Netherlands is fairly unpredictable, it is advisable to install a weather app on your phone.
The most popular Dutch weather apps are:
Buienradar (roughly translated as rain radar) lets you track the rain in the Netherlands. The app can show you whether there is any rain coming to your location in the next two hours. Get it for Android or iPhone.
Weeronline offers a rain radar, but it also offers a handy 14-day forecast, hay fever and UV radiation warnings. It can rate days according to activities, such as going to the beach, having a BBQ or skating as well. Get it for Android or iPhone.
Here are some of the more popular weather apps, worldwide:
This handy app includes a RealFeel index (which suggests what the outdoor temperature feels like, rather than the actual temperature), plenty of graphs, maps, a radar and even video weather forecasts. Get it for Android or iPhone.
Many people consider this their go-to app when it comes to weather and forecasts. You can get 36-hour and 10-day forecasts, including wind speed, humidity, UV index and visibility. Get it for Android or iPhone.