Wettest February ever, and nearly the warmest on record

February 2020 was the wettest February in Dutch history. An average of 142 millimeters of rain fell across the country, while 55 millimeters is normal for the Netherlands in February, according to Weeronline. The month was also exceptionally mild, going into the books as the second warmest February since temperature measurements started in 1901.

Temperatures at the national weather station in De Bilt climbed above 10 degrees on 13 days this month. February 16th was the first official spring day of the year, with a maximum of 16.7 degrees Celsius in De Bilt - also breaking the second heat record of this year.

There were no so-called ice days this February - with temps staying below zero all day. Between 1981 and 2010, February usually had two ice days. There were only two so-called frost days, with minimums below freezing, compared to the usual 13. And there was not one day on which temps dropped below -5 degrees Celsius, compared to the usual four.

But what the month lacked in cold weather, it made up for in wind and rain. The winds reached storm strength on no less than four days this month - storm Ciara on Sunday the 9th, storm Dennis on Sunday the 16th, and two unnamed storms on Tuesday the 11th and Sunday the 23rd.

Some places in the Netherlands got no less than 180 millimeters of rain this month. The least precipitation fell in the southwest of the country, with between 70 and 100 millimeters so far. Another 25 millimeters are expected before the month is over. In total, the average rainfall across the Netherlands amounted to 142 millimeters this month, compared to the normal 55 millimeters. That officially broke the record for wettest February ever, previously February 1946 with 138.6 millimeters of rain.