Winter weather on the way as autumn passes without a single storm
Autumn is drawing to a close - remarkably without a single storm in the Netherlands this year - with meteorological winter starting on Thursday. And it looks like winter decided to follow the calendar this year because the weather will grow gradually colder from today and be officially winter-cold from Friday, according to Weeronline.
Autumn is usually a stormy time in the Netherlands, but this year not at all. That has to do with the jet stream, a mighty wind at an altitude of about 10 kilometers, RTL weatherman Marc de Jong explained. If the temperature difference between the North Pole and the equator increases, the jet stream becomes more powerful. But due to climate change, the jet stream wasn’t powerful this fall.
“As a result, the temperature difference is smaller, and in recent years, it has become more common that we experience an autumn without a significant storm,” De Jong said to RTL Nieuws. Scientists are researching whether climate change is decreasing the number of storms. “The North Pole is now warming up much faster. The equator isn’t really. The engine of the jet storm is weakening.”
A storm-less autumn doesn’t necessarily mean winter will also be quiet. There is a good chance for one or more storms this winter, De Jong said. “The jet stream does not weaken definitively. In the winter, there can still be a very powerful phase.”
The last days of meteorological autumn will be gray and cloudy, with a chance of fog. The coastal areas may see some sunshine, but most places will be foggy all day. There may also be a light drizzle here and there, with maximums between 6 and 9 degrees.
Winter will start cold. “Exactly around the transition of the seasons on December 1, the wind turns east to northeast,” Weeronline explained. “Colder air above the northeast of Europe finds its way to our country, and we notice that in the temperature. It’s time for gloves, hat, and scarf.”
By the end of the week, afternoon temperatures will climb no higher than 4 or 5 degrees, and there will be at least light frost at night. The chance of rain or snow is slight, but there is also little room for sunshine.
