Sunniest Autumn on record; Netherlands likely to break 2003 annual sunshine mark

Anyone complaining about the Dutch weather this winter might have to hold their tongue, as the Netherlands is well on its way to the sunniest year in history. With 11 days left in autumn, the Netherlands has already recorded the most hours of sunshine for the season, according to meteorologists at WeerPlaza and NOS.

De wind mag dan koud zijn, maar de zon schijnt dit weekend volop. Daardoor hebben we vandaag twee bijzondere mijlpalen bereikt: de zonnigste herfst ooit en in De Bilt al 2000 uur zonneschijn. #zon #wauwhttps://t.co/jfpHV6FuM9 pic.twitter.com/jQI2r9yor2

— Weerplaza.nl (@Weerplaza) November 18, 2018

Parts of Limburg and Zeeland have enjoyed 464 hours of sun just in the fall, WeerPlaza announced. In De Bilt, Utrecht, the Netherlands has surpassed 2,000 hours of sunshine this year. The record is 2,022, set back in 2003.

"The explanation for this is that we have had many high-pressure areas above Europe", said NOS weatherman Gerrit Hiemstra. Fewer fronts with cloud-cover led to the "sunny year", he said.

That is set to change beginning tonight, Hiemstra lamented.