June 2021 was the warmest June in 120 years
This past June was the warmest ever June in the Netherlands since record-keeping began in 1901, Dutch meteorological institute KNMI announced. Last month, the agency recorded an average temperature of 18.2 degrees Celsius, compared to 16.2 which is considered a norm for the sixth month.
The first day of June was also the first official summer day of the year. That becomes "official" once the temperature reaches 25 degrees in De Bilt for the first time in a calendar year. The Utrecht city is home to the KNMI, and also considered the meteorological center for the country.
With an average of 2,047 hours of sunshine, last month was also sunnier than usual.
Except for some thunderstorms with local precipitation, the first half of the month was relatively dry. On June 13, nights became noticeably cooler. That day, June’s lowest temperature was recorded at Twente Air Base - 4.8 degrees.
From June 16, temperatures rose sharply and surpassed 30 degrees for three days in a row in the south and east of the country. In De Bilt, a temperature of 30.8 degrees were measured on June 17, marking the country’s first official tropical weather day.
June’s record high was recorded in Hupsel at 34 degrees.
KNMI stated that, although the month started dry, in the end it was also remarkably wet, triggering two code orange warnings to be issued for thunderstorms. Leersum, on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, was hit by a katabatic wind on June 18, causing significant damage.
The last days of the month were drizzly with temperatures below the average for this time of the year.
