2020 was, together with 2014, the hottest year since at least 1901, the start of the weather measurements. This is reported by Weerplaza and KNMI. The average temperature in De Bilt last year was 11.7 degrees. The average over the years 1981-2010 is 10.1 degrees.
lmost all months were warmer than normal. Only May was as warm as normal and July was cooler than usual. The ‘normal’ in this context is the average temperature over the period 1981-2010. Half of the months of 2020 falls in the top 10 highest average temperatures for that month from 1901.
Spring 2020 was the sunniest spring on record. On average over the country the sun shone 805 hours against 517 hours normally. The previous record was set in 2011 with 743 hours of sunshine. The spring was also very dry with an average overland rainfall of 77 millimeters against a long-term average of 172 millimeters.
Precipitation deficit
The sunny and dry spring weather led to a record for the national rainfall deficit at the end of spring of 161 millimeters. A normal amount of precipitation fell in the summer, although the dry spring kept the precipitation deficit as high as in the 5 percent driest years.
• Read also: Local precipitation deficit continues, fear of salinization
Never before has it been as warm as early in the year as on February 16 (16.7 degrees) and April 8 (24.5 degrees). And never before has it been so warm so late in the year as on September 15 (31.4 degrees) and November 2 (19.3 degrees). And never before have we counted so many tropical days in a row in De Bilt. On eight days, from August 6 to August 13, it rose above 30 degrees.
Especially this century
Incidentally, the previous years have also been very warm. 2018 is in third place with 11.4 degrees and 2019 also has a top rating with 11.2 degrees. 2006 and 2007 also averaged 11.2 degrees.
In the top ten warmest years, only 1999 is a year from the last century.
