Record number of sunshine hours in Netherlands; Thunderstorms coming tomorrow

The Netherlands broke its record for the sunniest 30 days since temperature measurements started in 1901, Weer.nl reported. Between May 19 and June 17, the Netherlands got more sunshine than is typical for the Greek Islands and the sunniest spots on the Mediterranean. Clouds are gradually putting an end to the sunny weather, and the KNMI expects thunderstorms on Tuesday afternoon and evening.

From May 19 to June 17, there were 367.3 hours of sunshine at the national weather station in De Bilt. That breaks 2018’s record of almost 358 hours of sunshine from June 25 to July 24.

The last time the sun shone for less than 4 hours on average over the Netherlands was May 15. “Since then, it has been sunny for weeks, with occasional clouds, unprecedented for the Dutch climate,” Weer.nl said. “In fact, over the past 30 days, the sun has been shining for longer than is typical for Europe’s sunniest holiday destinations.”

This week will see much more clouds, with thunderstorms hitting on Tuesday, the KNMI said. It issued a code yellow warning for the entire country, starting in the south at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The thunderstorms may be accompanied by heavy rains, hail up to 2 centimeters large, and gusts up to 75 kilometers per hour.

Maximums will be in the mid to high 20s all week. The KNMI expects clouds every day until Saturday but also ample room for sunshine. There may be more thunderstorms in the southeast on Thursday.