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The climate of the Netherlands
According to the Köppen climate classification the Netherlands has a
moderate sea climate (type Cfb) with relatively mild winters, mild
summers and rainfall all year round. The climate is influenced by the
North Sea. The Dutch mistakenly think that the Netherlands has a very
wet climate. However, this is based on feelings instead of facts. In
the Netherlands precipitation falls about 7% of the time in the form
of rain, snow, hail or glazed frost; this means there is about 1 hour
and 40 minutes of precipitation per day. In total the Netherlands get
700-800 millimeters of annual precipitation. In extremely dry years
this may be 500 millimeters, in extremely wet winters precipitation
figures may rise as high as 1,000 millimeters.
Climate information of places and areas in the Netherlands
The climate information given on this page is only brief. Specific
information on weather and climate can be found on the pages per
region or city. The following climate information is available for the
Netherlands:
Unpredictable
The climate of the Netherlands is very unpredictable. There are no
distinct dry or wet periods and chances of precipitation are high on a
large number of days. Forecasters will very rarely be in a position to
guarantee that the weather will stay dry for a great number of days on
end. This is the reason why the Dutch think their climate is very wet.
The reason the weather is as unpredictable as it is, is because of the
influence of the sea, the absence of mountains and the fact that the
country is situated in a transitional area between a cold and a warmer
climate. A westerly jet stream supplies depressions from the sea
without being interrupted. This jet stream strongly influences the
climate and may cause the supply of depressions for weeks on end.
Summer in the Netherlands
Summers in the Netherlands are unpredictable and unstable. Within
one summer you see changeable types of weather; temperatures may vary
and sometimes the weather can suddenly take a turn for the worse. June
may be warm and sunny and July may be wet and grey. Two weeks of very
bad summer weather may be followed by a heat wave. Whoever wants to
book a vacation with guaranteed sunshine and pleasantly warm weather
shouldn’t book a vacation to the Netherlands. Along the coast
(especially in Zeeland) the northern tip of North Holland and the West
Frisian Islands have the largest chance of sunny weather.
Winter
Winters in the Netherlands are almost as unpredictable as summers. In
January temperatures may rise to 10 degrees Celsius or drop to -10
degrees Celsius. However, over the last few decades winters seem to
get milder and chances of long lasting frost seem to decrease. A good
indication is the number of days you can go ice skating in the
Netherlands. The number of winters you can’t go skating in large parts
of the Netherlands seems to increase. The number of annual snowy days
varies from 20 in Zeeland/Zealand and Southern-Limburg to 30 in the
north eastern part of the Netherlands. However, there is often too
little snow to cover everything in a blanket of snow. Snow often falls
when temperatures are just below freezing point and when a period of
warmer weather (thaw) is announced. When it is really cold in the
Netherlands this is almost always caused by a dry easterly current.
Climate figures
The figures below are based on long term weather and climate
records in the Bilt. They can be seen as an average for The
Netherlands. (with the exception of the Dutch municipalities located
in the Caribbean: Saba, St. Eustasius and St. Maarten). The coastal
areas are warmer during the winter and colder during the summer. South
Limburg is colder during the winter and warmer during the summer. The
eastern part has a larger chance of cold and wintry weather. The West
Frisian Islands are colder (with the exception of the winter) and much
windier. The listed sea temperatures are an average for the North Sea.
More climate information
Climate tables are useful but they don’t give an overall picture of
the climate and possible weather conditions during a period of time.
How high the chances are of hot or cold weather or hurricanes can
often not be found in these tables. This is why we offer extra climate
information per month. The information below is an average for the
Netherlands with the exception of Dutch municipalities located in the
Caribbean: Saba, St. Eustasius and St. Maarten. The regions of Twente
and Limburg have a higher chance of wintry weather. The coastal area
in Zeeland/Zealand gets less sunshine and has a higher chance of
wintry weather.
Disclaimer
The information at this site was carefully composed from climate data collected by meteorological services, meteorological offices, climate experts and other sources. “More climate info” is based on statistics, climate data and personal experience. No rights can be derived from this site. Weather has no memory and gives no guaranties. Nothing is as changeable and unpredictable as the weather. The authors of this site feel in no way responsible for any damages caused by misinterpretation or other circumstances that may influence your holiday or trip to a certain destination. We provide information, it’s up to the reader to use it to it’s benefit.
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this site in Dutch
= 0-5 mm ●
= 6-30 mm ●
= 31-60 mm ●
= 61-100 mm ●
= 101-200 mm ●
=
over 200 mm
