Dutch weather station sees record 234 days of double-digit temperatures

The maximum temperature in De Bilt, where the Dutch national weather institute (KNMI) is located, has not dropped below 10 degrees Celsius for 234 consecutive days, since March 17. Weeronline reports that this is the longest stretch on record with daily highs in the double digits. The previous record, set in 2020, lasted 233 consecutive days.

Over the 125 years of weather observations in De Bilt, there have been 20 instances where the temperature stayed at or above 10 degrees Celsius for at least 200 days. Six of these occurred in the 20th century, while 14 have happened since.

Last year, there was a stretch of 202 consecutive days with temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius. This was lower than in 2023, when there were 217 days, and in 2022, when there were 218 consecutive days of temperatures above 10 degrees Celsius.

Weeronline attributes the growing frequency of such long stretches of mild weather to climate change. “Because the overall temperature is now higher than it used to be, it’s easier to reach days with highs of 10 degrees or more,” the weather service explains. “That means there are fewer cool days in spring and autumn that dip just below 10 degrees and break the streak.”

This is also shown by the average number of days that a country has had with temperatures of above 10 degrees Celsius. Between 1995 and 2024, a year has had an average of 197 days of mild weather, compared to 176 days on average between 1951 and 1980.