How is the climate in the Netherlands changing?

Global warming is causing more changes in the climate. These changes are also manifest in the Netherlands. For example, we are increasingly faced with drought and severe precipitation. Cases in point are the extreme droughts of 2018 and 2019, and the flooding caused by torrential rain in the summer of 2021. Our climate is turning ever more extreme.

In the video below, the KNMI explains how the climate in the Netherlands will change and briefly presents the KNMI'23 climate scenarios.

What are the main changes?

The main changes in our climate are:

  • Winters are becoming wetter, whilst the probability of severe summer downpours is growing. Furthermore, such downpours are becoming increasingly more extreme. Precipitation is increasing because warmer air can hold more moisture. More information on how precipitation is changing is provided in the Knowledge Dossier on Waterlogging.
  • The probability of more prolonged periods of drought is growing. As a result of the higher temperatures, more water is evaporating. If evaporation exceeds precipitation, drought may result. More information on how the probability of drought is changing is provided in the Knowledge Dossier on Drought.
  • Summers are growing warmer, and the probability of heatwaves is increasing. Heatwaves occur ever more frequently and last ever longer. More information on how summers are growing even hotter is provided in the Knowledge Dossier on Heat.
  • The probability of flooding is growing. This can be attributed to the rising sea level and the greater probability of higher peak river discharges, for example, as a result of extreme precipitation. More information on how the probability of flooding is increasing is provided in the Knowledge Dossier on Flooding.

In addition to the changes in temperature, the KNMI climate dashboard also shows, e.g., the changes in precipitation, in precipitation shortages, and in the sea level. The dashboard not only presents measurement data over the past century, but also reflects expectations for the future.

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