It may not feel like it after the code yellow storm that broke umbrellas and rattled windows throughout the weekend but 2020 has been the warmest year on record in De Bilt — tied with 2014.
With an average temperature of 11.7 degrees, only once before has De Bilt (which meteorologists use as the standard for the whole country) seen such high temperatures throughout the year, according to KNMI.
The abnormally warm temperatures applied to almost all months, with only May seeing average temperatures, and June colder than usual.
Smashing records
But while 2020 may have only tied for first regarding the annual average, it took the grand prize for the most temperature records broken.
Until this year, it had never been as warm on February 16 (16.7 degrees), April 8 (24.5 degrees), September 15 (31.4 degrees), and November 2 (19.3 degrees).
Over the summer, the number of consecutive tropical days, wherein the mercury rose above 30 degrees, broke another record. The eight days from August 8 to August 13 went down in the books for De Bilt’s stickiest streak in history.
Sunny spring
This past spring was also a record-breaker, for the sunniest and driest De Bilt has ever seen. The sun shone for an unprecedented 805 hours on average, compared with the 517 hours typically seen. The previous record from 2011 marked 743 hours.
The spring was also particularly parched for rain, going down in history for a record-high national rainfall deficit of 172 millimetres by the end of the season.
Are you surprised by this year’s record-warm temperatures? Tell us in the comments below!
Feature Image: Bianca Pexels
For the author to translate the KNMI article title “2020 samen met 2014 het warmste jaar ooit in De Bilt” as “2020 joins 2014 as the hottest year recorded in the Netherlands” is propaganda, not journalism.
Also, let’s consider Statistics 101. If the temperature recordings were from De Bilt only, it would be more factually accurate to say “2020 joins 2014 as the hottest year recorded in De Bild”. Even though the Netherlands is tiny, to apply temperature recordings from one minute location to the whole country is bad science.
I can only hope that 2021 will set a new, much higher record. Sunshine! Warmth! What kind of person is it that likes darkness and cold?