Warmest May 26 on record as the Netherlands marks first official “tropical” day

Tuesday is the hottest May 26 ever measured in the Netherlands since records began in 1901, according to Weeronline. A date goes into the books as a “tropical” day when the temperature tops 30 degrees Celsius in De Bilt, Utrecht, considered to be the meteorological average for the Netherlands. At 2:10 p.m. in the weather measuring station in De Bilt, temperatures reached 30.4 degrees Celsius, making it the country’s first official tropical day of the year.

The earlier record stood at 29.1 degrees Celsius, set in 2005. This year’s first tropical day arrived unusually early; typically, such a milestone is only reached around June 29.

On Tuesday afternoon, tropical heat will spread across the country, with temperatures generally between 30 and 32 degrees Celsius and local peaks of up to 33 degrees.

This marks the fifth daily temperature record so far this year. In March, multiple record highs were already recorded during a period of unusually mild weather, including four consecutive days in the first week, March 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Daily temperature records are occurring more frequently, according to Weeronline. The meteorological service reports that, so far this century, heat records have been set roughly nine times as often as cold records.

On Tuesday, the Netherlands recorded its first regional heatwave of the year. In Ell, Limburg, temperatures climbed to 30.7 degrees Celsius at 1:20 p.m. A heatwave is officially defined as a period of at least five straight days with 25 degrees or more, of which at least three must reach 30 degrees or higher.

By Tuesday evening, cooler air will arrive, ending the spell of unusually high temperatures, Weeronline said.