Cherry blossom season kicks off in the NL with less-than-optimal weather to enjoy them

It’s cherry blossom season in the Netherlands. In the coming weeks, you can enjoy trees blooming pink and white in various places in the Netherlands, including the four large cities. Too bad the current weather isn’t optimal for spending time outside.

Saturday will be an almost-even mix of sunshine and showers, with a strong northwesterly wind and maximums around 10 degrees, according to the KNMI. Sunday will be gray and wet, with a 90 percent chance of showers. It’ll be a bit warmer at 12 degrees, with a moderate southeasterly wind.

Next week might be better for wandering around the Amsterdamse Bos or Westerpark, Bankstraat or Prins Hendrikplein in The Hague, Statesingel or the park at the Euromast in Rotterdam, and Valkstraat in Utrecht. From Tuesday, there will be more sunshine and higher temperatures. The KNMI currently expects highs up to 15 or 16 degrees for Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

The cherry trees typically bloom for a few weeks, and the cherry blossom season usually ends around late April.

According to the KNMI, cherry trees are blooming earlier and earlier in the season due to global warming and increased urbanization. Compared to the first blooming dates recorded in Japan in 812 (that’s not a typo), cherry blossom season is starting over ten days earlier in the Asian country. “Trees also bloom earlier in the Netherlands,” the meteorological institute said.