It may be hard to believe with the weather the Netherlands has experienced over the past few days, but last month was the warmest June the Netherlands has seen since records began in 1901!

The Netherlands' warmest June in 120 years

After a practically non-existent spring, the Netherlands dove head first into summer last month, with June 1 being the first official summer day of the year and bringing temperatures of 25 degrees or more. As the month progressed, temperatures manage to hold steady at above 20 degrees, and on June 17, the Dutch Weather Institute (KNMI) recorded the first tropical day of the year, as temperatures reached 30,8 degrees in De Bilt (a town near Utrecht). 

The final 10 days of June did see temperatures fall as the sun struggled to fight through the cloud cover, but the strong start to the month made June 2021 the warmest June since 1901. With an average temperature of 18,2 degrees - compared to the average of 16,2 degrees - last month broke the 2019 record of 18,1 degrees. 

A dry, sunny, and warm July, please!

Now that June is behind us, can we look forward to warmer temperatures and sunnier skies in July? Well, maybe. Next week, temperatures should reach between 20 and 25 degrees every day, but you should expect rain showers, especially in the first half of the week. 

The good news is that Weeronline’s meteorologist Jaco van Wezel expects this month to be drier and sunnier than usual - you’ll just have to be a little patient. “It will be warm, with temperatures between 25 and 30 degrees,” Van Wezel says. “So, get your swimming trunks and sunscreen ready!”

However, he does point out that these summery temperatures will be dependent on the direction of the wind. If the wind comes from the south, we can expect tropical temperatures of above 30 degrees (as well as heavy rain and thunderstorms), but if the wind comes from the north, you should prepare for a July with temperatures in the early to mid-twenties.