The Netherlands experienced the sunniest and driest March ever recorded last month, and the beginning of April is set to continue the trend. In the first few weeks of the fourth month, Dutch residents can expect plenty of sunshine, dry weather and warm temperatures.

Sunniest and driest March ever recorded in the Netherlands

With an average of 247 hours of sunshine in the Netherlands, March 2025 was a lot sunnier than the usual 150 hours for the time of year. According to Weeronline, it was the sunniest Dutch March since 1906 when records began.

Together with bright days, the weather was also very dry with just 5 millimetres of rainfall, compared to the 56 millimetres the country would normally get. This makes last month the driest March since 1901. 

Temperatures were also slightly warmer than what they have been over the period of 1995 to 2024, with the mercury rising to an average of 7,1 degrees celsius instead of the usual 6,5 degrees. However, the evenings were colder than the normal 2,3 degrees celsius, dropping down to a frosty 0,9 degrees.

More wildfires due to dry Dutch weather

The combination of little rainfall and lots of sunshine means that soil and vegetation dry out more quickly, increasing the chances of a wildfire occurring - the strong winds that often blow in the Netherlands also don’t help. More than 80 wildfires were reported last month due to the dry and sunny weather.

For comparison, 211 wildfires were reported for the whole of 2024, according to the Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (NIPV). Not only do forest fires accelerate global warming by releasing more greenhouse gases, but they also increase the risk of flooding when there is rain, as there is less vegetation and healthy soil to absorb the rainwater. 

April in the Netherlands set to be sunny, dry and warm

The first days of April have had the perfect weather to sit on a terrace, enjoying a cool Dutch beer. There has been loads of sunshine, clear skies and temperatures of up to 22 degrees celsius. 

As we enter the first weekend of the month, it will cool down a bit and more clouds will appear. Some rain will fall in a few Dutch cities, but it will remain mostly dry throughout the country. 

According to Weeronline, while we usually have temperatures of between 11 and 14 degrees celsius in April, this year we can expect the mercury to stay between 15 and 20 degrees for the first half of the month - after that, the weather will become more changeable but will still remain mostly dry and warm as is usual for April. 

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