March 2025 sets records for sunshine and dry weather in the Netherlands
March 2025 was a record-breaking month in the Netherlands, with exceptionally high sunshine hours and the lowest recorded rainfall for the month. The country saw an average of 248 hours of sunshine, far exceeding the normal 150 hours. Additionally, only 5 millimeters of precipitation fell nationwide, a stark contrast to the usual 56 millimeters, according to weeronline.
This March was officially the sunniest on record, surpassing the previous high of 245 hours set in 2022. The northwest of the country recorded the highest sunshine totals, with Terschelling receiving 273 hours, followed by Stavoren and Den Helder with 265 hours each. Meanwhile, the southeast experienced relatively lower sunshine levels, with Maastricht recording 230 hours and Ell 235 hours.
The month began with a particularly bright start, setting a new record for the first ten days of March. The sun shone for 92 hours on average, breaking the previous record of 89 hours from 2022. Hoek van Holland registered the highest total for this period, with 96.5 hours of sunshine, overtaking the previous record of 94.3 hours set in Deelen in 2022. The second ten-day period (March 11-20) ranked as the third sunniest on record, with 79 hours of sunshine—just one hour short of the record. However, the final third of the month (March 21-31) was comparatively less sunny.
The record-breaking trend extended to De Bilt, where the first ten days of March saw 93.2 hours of sunshine, breaking the previous record of 91.7 hours, also set in 2022. Since January 1, the Netherlands has recorded an average of 413 sunshine hours, just shy of the 423-hour record set in 2022.
The driest March ever
March 2025 was not only exceptionally sunny but also the driest March ever recorded. The nationwide average precipitation was a mere 5 millimeters, breaking the previous record of 9 millimeters set in 1929 and 2022. The normal average for the month, based on the 1995-2024 climate period, is 56 millimeters.
Despite the overall dryness, some regions experienced localized heavy rainfall. Leeuwarden recorded the highest precipitation total, with 33 millimeters falling on March 23 alone, bringing its monthly total to 45 millimeters. This was significantly higher than surrounding areas in Friesland, where rainfall ranged from 10 to 20 millimeters. Parts of Gelderland, Overijssel, and the Wadden Islands saw totals between 10 and 18 millimeters, while most of the country recorded between 0 and 10 millimeters.
March 2025 was also warmer than usual, with an average temperature of 7.1 degrees, compared to the normal 6.5 degrees. The afternoons were particularly mild, averaging 13.6 degrees—well above the usual 10.6 degrees. However, nighttime temperatures were colder than average, with an average low of 0.9 degrees compared to the normal 2.3 degrees.
The lower nighttime temperatures resulted in a high number of frost nights. De Bilt recorded 13 frost nights, exceeding the normal nine. The lowest temperature recorded in De Bilt was -4.3 degrees on March 3. The coldest temperature in the country was -6.7 degrees, recorded in Eelde on March 16. Eelde also had the highest number of frost nights, with 19. However, this fell far short of the record set in March 1969, when Eelde recorded frost on 29 days. Other locations with frequent frost nights included Heino, Nieuw-Beerta, and Deelen, each with 16 frost nights.
Date-specific warmth records
Several warm weather records were set in early March. From March 6 to 8, date-specific warmth records were broken. On March 6, De Bilt matched the 1989 record of 17.8 degrees. On March 7, the temperature in De Bilt reached 18.1 degrees, surpassing the 1991 record of 17.7 degrees. The highest nationwide temperature that day was 19.2 degrees in Arcen, while Wijk aan Zee and Twente recorded 19.0 degrees.
On March 8, Deelen reached 20.0 degrees, making it the first location to experience a locally warm day this year. De Bilt recorded 19.6 degrees, setting a new record for the first ten days of March. The previous record was 19.5 degrees, set on March 9, 2014. Such high temperatures so early in the year are rare—before this year, only once had De Bilt recorded 19 degrees or higher in the first half of March, on March 9, 2014.
March 21 saw another record-setting temperature in De Bilt, reaching 21.9 degrees. This marked the first official warm day of the year, significantly earlier than usual. Typically, De Bilt does not exceed 20 degrees until April 12. The earliest recorded official warm day in De Bilt remains March 17, occurring in both 1961 and 1990.
The highest temperature recorded nationwide on March 21 was 22.8 degrees in Maastricht. Many locations saw temperatures between 20 and 22 degrees, with Eindhoven reaching 22.5 degrees, Arcen 22.4 degrees, and Volkel 22.2 degrees.
