There have been just 27 hours of sunshine in December, and little change is likely by the end of the year, weather forecasters say.

On Friday, the KNMI weather bureau issued a code yellow fog warning for the entire country but said there will be no blue skies once the fog lifts, and it will be chilly, particularly in the northwest.

The sunshine total so far, which reflects the sunny weather at the start of the month, is less than half the average for December. The month also includes the longest period without any sunshine – December 9 to 19 – since 1990.

The rest of the month is likely to be overcast with temperatures no higher than 6° to 9°, and the rain will return on New Year’s Eve and January 1, according to weather bureau KNMI.

Nevertheless, the month will not break any records. The greyest ever December was in 1911 when there were just 14 hours of sunshine, and in 1934 when there were 16.

January 2025 will also start off grey and overcast with rain, but temperatures higher than average for the time of year, the KNMI said.