October was exceptionally wet, mild and sunny
According to the KNMI, considerably more rain than usual fell, while the month was also warmer and sunnier.
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October was very wet in the Netherlands, but also mild and sunny. The KNMI recorded an average of 106 millimetres of precipitation, compared with 75 millimetres in a normal October.
The average temperature in De Bilt was 12.2 degrees Celsius. The long-term average for October, calculated over the period from 1991 to 2020, is 10.9 degrees. The month was therefore clearly milder than usual.
The rain did not fall evenly everywhere. October was particularly wet in the west and centre of the country. On average across the Netherlands, the sun shone for 145 hours, compared with the normal figure of 120 hours. The east and south-east received the most sunshine.
The month saw major contrasts. On 7 October, the highest temperature was recorded in Beek: 23.9 degrees. In Ell, the mercury fell to 0.8 degrees on 12 October. The mild start later gave way to unsettled weather with periods of heavy rain.
Two storms also shaped the weather pattern. The low-pressure system Austen crossed the Netherlands on 23 October, bringing strong to storm-force winds and heavy rain along the coast. On 24 and 25 October, Storm Boelo again caused severe gusts; on Vlieland, an hourly average wind speed of force 9 was recorded.
The KNMI reports that it issued a yellow weather warning for parts of the Netherlands for both storms. According to the institute, the amount of precipitation during storms in the Netherlands may increase in a warmer climate. The KNMI estimates this increase at around 10 per cent per degree of global warming; this is a long-term climate insight, not an explanation for every individual storm.
The monthly figures are a weather overview and do not in themselves mean that every subsequent October will unfold in the same way. However, higher average temperatures are consistent with the long-term trend described by the KNMI: over the past thirty years, the average October temperature has risen by approximately 0.6 degrees per decade. The precipitation and sunshine figures are averages; local differences remain substantial.
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The key figures and dates were checked directly against the KNMI overview. An independent news source confirms the general weather pattern and the stormy end to the month.
- confirmed October 2026 had an average temperature of 12.2 degrees in De Bilt, compared with the normal figure of 10.9 degrees. — Mentioned in the KNMI monthly overview. source
- confirmed An average of 106 millimetres of precipitation fell, compared with the normal figure of 75 millimetres. — Mentioned in the KNMI monthly overview. source
- confirmed The sun shone for an average of 145 hours, compared with the normal figure of 120 hours. — Mentioned in the KNMI monthly overview. source
- confirmed Storm Austen crossed the Netherlands on 23 October, and Boelo caused stormy weather on 24 and 25 October. — The description and dates are given in the KNMI overview; Blik op Nieuws confirms the stormy end to the month. source
- confirmed The average October temperature rose by approximately 0.6 degrees per decade over the past thirty years. — Mentioned by the KNMI as a long-term trend. source
Editor's note
The monthly figures come from the KNMI's provisional overview of 30 October. The second source confirms the general weather pattern and the stormy end to the month; the climate trend and exact averages are based on the KNMI.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „oktober weer”
- FD — „oktober weer”
- AD — „oktober weer”