Already more sunshine in 2023 than typical for an entire year

So far this year, the Netherlands has had 1,778 hours of sunshine - already more than is typical for an entire year, Weeronline reported. That counter is unlikely to climb much in the coming days. The rest of the week and weekend will be gray and wet.

In the 1991-2020 climate period, the Netherlands got an average of 1,774 hours of sunshine per year. If the sun shines an average amount for the rest of the year, 2023 will be in the top five sunniest years on Dutch record. Last year is in first place with a massive 2,233 hours of sunshine, followed by 2003 with 2,100 hours. The years 2018 and 2020 also got over 2,000 hours of sunshine. 2019 holds fifth place with 1,965 hours of sun but may well be surpassed by 2023.

The coming days won’t do much to move 2023 into the top five. While Wednesday is still partly sunny, cloud cover will predominate from Thursday until at least Sunday. According to the meteorological institute KNMI, there is a 10 to 20 percent chance of sunshine in the coming days, with a 70 to 90 percent chance of rain. Maximums will range between 11 degrees in the north and 18 degrees in the south on Wednesday. The rest of the week will be slightly cooler.

“Lots of rain until the weekend and a chilly easterly wind on Friday. After that, it remains quite changeable and on the mild side,” the KNMI said. There is a good chance of a code yellow strong winds warning in the northern coastal area on Friday and Saturday.