Netherlands current drought worse than 1976

It is currently drier in the Netherlands than it was on July 25th, 1976 - the driest year in the Netherlands since measurements started. The average precipitation across the Netherlands stands at 261 mm on Wednesday. In 1976 it was 257 mm, according to Weeronline.

Whether the absolute drought record from 1976 will be broken this year, depends on what August's rainfall will look like, according to the weather service. In 1976 the precipitation deficit increased to 363 mm in August.

According to the current weather forecasts, there will be a few showers and thunderstorms in the Netherlands late on Friday evening and early on Saturday morning. After that there will be days of sunshine, tropical temperatures and no rain. On a sunny day about 5 mm of soil moisture evaporates, which will push the national average precipitation deficit to 300 mm at the start of August, Weeronline expects.

"From the weekend of 4 and 5 August, the uncertainty in the expectation increases. At best, the precipitation deficit will stabilize then, but a further increase in the drought is more likely", the weather service writes. In the past, the precipitation deficit in extremely dry summers usually only reached its peak in August.