First summer weather day: May 1 follows notably sunny April, drought concerns persist

The first local summer day of the year has arrived, with temperatures reaching 25.1 degrees in the Limburg town of Ell on Friday afternoon. On average, the first summer day is recorded around April 29, Weeronline reports, although this did not occur in April, the month was unusually sunny and dry.

The last day with temperatures of 25 degrees or higher was on September 20 last year in the east and south of the Netherlands. Maastricht reached 25.9 degrees, while Arcen, Ell, and Horst each recorded 25.8 degrees.

With around 260 hours of sunshine, last month was one of the five sunniest Aprils on record, Weeronline reports. Rainfall was just 8 millimetres, placing it among the three driest Aprils ever measured.

April’s average temperature came in at 10.5 degrees, a bit above the usual 9.9 degrees. The month was fairly stable, with few temperature extremes, which is normal for this time of year. The warmest day was April 9, when 23.6 degrees was recorded in Noord-Brabant. Temperatures rose again on the final day of the month.

“The most notable thing about April was the lack of rain,” according to the weather bureau. Normally, 43 millimetres of rain falls in April. With only 8 millimetres of rain this April, it was therefore very dry. As a result, the precipitation deficit has risen sharply to 62 millimetres. “At the moment, 2026 is running almost parallel to record year 1976,” the driest year ever measured.

Farmers and growers in the Netherlands are starting to feel the impact of the continued dry weather. The agricultural group LTO says it is worried, as soil moisture and groundwater levels have not yet recovered from last year’s drought. Still, this is not expected to affect supermarket prices in the short term.

Arable farmers say crops are having difficulty germinating and emerging evenly because of the dry conditions. LTO stresses that it is still too early to draw conclusions about effects on consumers, since the coming months will be crucial. It also notes that a price-sensitive crop like potatoes is typically not harvested until September.

The farming organisation says it is keeping a close eye on the weather outlook. LTO notes that there are indications that the summer could also turn out warmer and drier. It compares this to previous dry years, when long periods of heat and drought placed significant strain on agriculture.

Fruit growers are also noticing the effects of the ongoing drought for the first time, confirms John Kusters, chairman of the Dutch Fruit Growers’ Organisation (NFO). “It is an important period, because there needs to be enough fresh water to ensure the fruits will develop their proper size and shape.”

Kusters agrees with LTO that it is still too soon to say whether the harvest will be affected or what it could mean for consumers. The situation will depend on the coming months. He adds that “an occasional rain shower and temperatures between 18 and 23 degrees would be ideal.”