Historic warmth hits Netherlands: March 8 sets new heat records nationwide
The Netherlands recorded its warmest March 8 ever. At 11:20 a.m. on Saturday, the temperature in De Bilt, where the Dutch meteorological institute KNMI is based, reached 16.5 degrees Celsius (61.7 degrees Fahrenheit), officially breaking the previous March 8 record of 16.0 degrees set in 2014, weeronline reports.
Even higher temperatures were recorded elsewhere. At 12:40 p.m., the temperature in Hupsel rose to 19.0 degrees, surpassing the previous nationwide record of 18.9 degrees measured in Maastricht in 2014.
The heat marks the third time in 2025 that a daily high-temperature record has been broken. On February 21, De Bilt recorded 17.9 degrees, the highest temperature ever observed so early in the year. On March 6, temperatures tied the previous record set in 1989, while on March 7, another daily record was set.
Rising temperatures trend
Since the start of the 21st century, the Netherlands has recorded 185 daily warm-temperature records, compared to just 19 cold-temperature records, highlighting a trend of increasing heat extremes.
While individual daily temperature records cannot be directly attributed to climate change, the stark contrast between warm and cold records provides an indication of broader climate shifts, meteorologists say. Warm-temperature records have occurred nine times more frequently than cold records so far this century.
The unseasonably warm weather has been accompanied by mostly sunny skies. Forecasters expect temperatures to remain high on Saturday, with highs between 16 and 18 degrees. However, a significant cooldown is expected after the weekend, reportedly making further record-breaking temperatures unlikely in the coming days.
