2023 is likely to be the wettest year since official records began in 1901, with no halt to the showers up to the end of the month.

So far 1100 millimetres of rain have fallen at 13 of the country’s weather stations, and that is one millimetre more than the previous record set in 1998. Over the past few decades, some 853 millimetres have fallen on average.

“A lot of rain has fallen and a lot more is on its way,” a spokesman for weather bureau KNMI said. “It really does look as if the rain record will be broken.” 

The rest of 2023 will be changeable and warm for the time of year, said NOS weatherman Peter Kuipers Munneke. “There will be some rain every day. So far this month, 75 millimetres has fallen and we expect 50 to 70 in the last week.”

Christmas Day (December 25) will be particularly wet, but there could be a little sunshine on December 26. 

The rain has given some waterboards considerable headaches and in Limburg sandbags have been brought in to raise the dyke along the Roer river by Vlodrop. 

The KNMI published its latest climate forecasts last month, saying Dutch summers will be warmer and winters wetter as the earth heats up. “It will be warmer every season, with more tropical days and fewer occasions when it freezes all day,” the agency said.

November was the wettest November since records began, with twice the average rainfall.