The Netherlands is heading into a markedly colder week with dry conditions, signaling the start of the Christmas holiday period with temperatures dropping significantly from the recent mild spell.
Meteorologists at weeronline warn that while the days will become brighter, residents should prepare for chilly and sometimes harsh conditions.
Monday marks the shortest day of the year, with the sun directly over the Tropic of Capricorn at 4:03 p.m. Dutch time. From now on, the northern hemisphere is expected to gradually tilt toward the sun, slowly lengthening daylight. This week, sunny days are expected to make the daylight feel noticeably longer than cloudy days.
Temperatures on Monday are expected to reach 6 to 7 degrees, a sharp drop from the preceding warmer period.
The day is expected to remain dry, with a weak to moderate east wind. Northern provinces are expected to be cloudier, with east winds at strength 4 to 5, while central and southern regions are expected to experience winds of 2 to 3.
Tuesday is expected to bring colder, gray, and windy conditions. Temperatures are expected to struggle to rise above 5 degrees, with a moderate to fairly strong east wind lowering the apparent temperature. Only Limburg is expected to see a chance of sunshine. Overnight into Wednesday, clear skies are expected to bring light frost across most of the country.
Wednesday is expected to remain cold, with highs between 2 and 4 degrees, but the sun is expected to appear more frequently.
Holiday visitors to Christmas markets are advised to stay out of the wind, as northeast winds are expected to remain moderate to fairly strong.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
Temperatures are expected to drop below freezing on Christmas Eve, reaching -2 to 0 degrees at midnight, with moderate frost possible inland, hitting as low as -5 degrees.
Christmas Day itself is expected to stay cold but sunny, with maximum temperatures of 0 to 2 degrees. The midday sun is expected to brighten the day, but northeast winds are expected to make it feel closer to -5 degrees in many areas.
Experts say the likelihood of a white Christmas is almost zero. “There are no clouds, and therefore no snow,” meteorologists add.
Historically, white Christmases are rare in the Netherlands. Since 1901, there have been only eight instances in De Bilt with snow cover on both Christmas days, most recently in 2010, KNMI reported.
Temperatures around Christmas are often expected to rise due to the so-called “Christmas depression,” bringing mild air to Western Europe, usually between 5 and 10 degrees.
Only nine times has the first day of Christmas stayed below freezing all day in De Bilt, and both days are expected to see ice days simultaneously seven times, most recently in 1970. The lowest recorded temperatures are -3.9 degrees on December 25, 1961, and -4.6 degrees on December 26, 1938.