Anyone living in the Netherlands will be well acquainted with the three main types of Dutch weather: constant drizzle, showers and pouring down rain. It's likely you can't count the number of times you've been caught out in a damp and unpleasant fashion by a sudden fall of rain. If only you'd checked buienradar before leaving the house…
If you’ve been dithering, or aren’t happy with your current weather app, here’s a round-up of a few of the more popular and well-regarded weather apps with comprehensive information about the weather in the Netherlands.
While the written forecasts for these apps are in Dutch, they also have the most accurate and comprehensive information for the Netherlands. Not too fussed about downloading an app onto your mobile phone or tablet? You're in luck, as most of these platforms are available online and are also accessible via a website.
Buienradar is a household name in the Netherlands and a very popular app for people wanting to watch the rain sweep through. The central focus of the app is the radar showing whether there is any rain coming to your location in the next two hours.
You can customise the app to your own preferences by adding specific modules to your start page, which allows you to have your preferred weather information available within a couple of swipes.
Another app with its focus on rain radar, but it also has a 14-day forecast for locations around the world, as well as detailed written forecasts for the Netherlands and Belgium (in Dutch).
Weeronline also rates days according to activities like beach, BBQ or skating, and offers hay fever and UV radiation warnings. It will also let you share the weather with your friends, in the case of good (or bad) news.
Not good at remembering to check the radar? Get Buienalarm! This handy app will send you rainfall warnings based on your location, whether you're at home or out and about.
If you do remember to take a look at the interactive radar map yourself, it is constantly updated and also features an accurate precipitation chart.
If you're after accuracy, then the official website of the Dutch weather institute (KNMI) is the way to go! This app provides an overview of the current weather forecast (in Dutch), both for five days and extended, and also has a rain radar.
On top of that, the app has maps showing current temperatures, wind speed and visibility, along with UV predictions, an animated weather map (for several days in advance) and any weather and coastal alarms the KNMI may have issued.
Not too confident in your Dutch language skills? Don't worry, there are plenty of well-regarded international apps that will not only be able to provide you with accurate updates about the Dutch weather but will also allow you to keep up to date with the weather situation in your favourite holiday spots, most common business trip destination or your parents’ house.
AccuWeather is one of the more well-known websites for international weather. The app has a home screen widget displaying two-day forecasts with severe weather warnings for your GPS location. You can also store an unlimited number of locations.
Current weather conditions update every 15 minutes with humidity and precipitation percentages, dew point, visibility, UV index, wind speed gusts and direction, times for sunrise and sunset, and RealFeel, AccuWeather’s own weather forecasting system that determines what the local temperature actually feels like.
Developed by weather professionals MeteoGroup, Europe’s largest independent weather company, WeatherPro has global satellite information for much of Europe (and the USA and Australia) and is available in four different languages.
The platform's weekly forecasts are updated every three hours with information on temperature, wind direction and speed, air pressure, precipitation amount and probability, and relative humidity. There is also a premium version, which has hourly forecasts for two weeks ahead, precipitation radar for Europe, and weather reports for popular beach and ski resorts all over the world.
Available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play, 1Weather has a simple but elegant interface that shows real-time local weather and forecasts worldwide for two days. It also has a 10-day extended forecast and precipitation info, and 36-hour and seven-day interactive maps.
Really, the only way to make sure you're well-equipped to face whatever the Dutch climate throws at you is to make sure you're prepared for any and all weather types. So, alongside being sure to check your preferred weather app, consider grabbing an umbrella, scarf, and a pair of sunglasses before leaving the house - that way, you know you're ready no matter what!
On the hunt for more tips for dealing with the notoriously unpredictable weather in the Netherlands? Read our top tips for beating the rain!