This June is the second-warmest on record in the Netherlands after June 2023
June in the Netherlands was the second-warmest June ever recorded after 2023. This year, the month was defined by an intense late-June heatwave. It produced national temperature records and a regional “super heatwave.” It also brought repeated severe weather warnings.
The average temperature for the month was 19.2 degrees, compared with the normal 16.6 degrees. Only June 2023 was a little warmer at 19.4 degrees. The month was also wetter and sunnier than average, with 82 mm of rainfall versus a normal 66 mm and 251 hours of sunshine compared with the usual 232 hours.
Weather conditions shifted sharply over the course of the month. The first half was relatively cool, followed by an exceptionally warm second half. In De Bilt, the average temperature during the second half of June reached 23.0 degrees, breaking the previous record of 20.1 degrees set in 2005 and 2023. The final 10 days of June averaged 23.8 degrees, surpassing the previous record of 22.6 degrees from 1976.
De Bilt recorded 20 warm days, 12 summer days, and five tropical days. In Ell, Limburg, nine tropical days were recorded, a new June record.
The month produced multiple historic temperature extremes. In Ell, Limburg, temperatures reached 39.4 degrees on June 26, the highest June temperature ever measured in the Netherlands. On June 24, De Bilt reached 34.0 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded on that date. On June 26, temperatures rose to 36.8 degrees in De Bilt, marking the hottest June day ever recorded there.
Nighttime temperatures also set records. From June 24 to June 27, several stations recorded record-high minimum temperatures. On June 27, Maastricht did not drop below 22.9 degrees. De Bilt recorded three consecutive tropical nights, the first such sequence ever observed in June.
The heat culminated in the first regional super heatwave ever recorded in June, lasting from June 23 through June 28. In Ell, the event lasted six days. In De Bilt, the official heatwave lasted 12 days, surpassing the previous June record of eight days from 1936 and 1976.
Severe weather alerts accompanied the heat. There were four instances of code orange warnings in June, including three for thunderstorms and one for heat. On June 19 and June 20, thunderstorms triggered code orange across all provinces. On June 21, Limburg alone remained under a thunderstorm warning. From June 24 through June 27, extreme heat led to code orange and code red alerts. On June 27 and June 28, additional thunderstorm-related code orange warnings were issued.
It was the first time code red, the highest weather warning level, was issued for heat in the Netherlands. Local temperatures on the hottest days reached as high as 40 degrees in some forecasts, with widespread readings between 38 degrees and 39 degrees and isolated higher values.
The extreme heat caused widespread disruption. Schools and childcare centers closed in some areas, events were canceled, and construction work was halted in multiple locations. Infrastructure was also affected, with reports of bridges being restricted due to heat-related expansion risks.
Rainfall was concentrated in intense thunderstorm events despite the heat dominance. Nationwide precipitation totaled 82 mm, above the 66 mm average. Heavy rainfall on June 19 and June 27 produced localized extremes, including 96 mm in Abcoude in a single day. The highest monthly totals were recorded in the northeast, including 179 mm in Eext and 172 mm in Veendam.
Despite the storm activity, sunshine totals reached 251 hours, above the 232-hour average, though well below the June 2023 record of 328 hours. Western regions recorded between 250 and 270 hours of sunshine.
So far this year, the Netherlands has already seen 13 code orange warnings and two code red alerts. This marks the highest number of extreme weather warnings recorded in the first half of a year since the current warning system was introduced, surpassing previous benchmarks including 2010.
