The past spring months were extremely sunny and dry. The sun shone for dozens of days, it was often warmer than 15 degrees Celsius, and records were broken.
In the months of March, April, and May, the sun shone for a remarkable 797 hours, compared to the normal 578, writes Weerplaza. That is also more often than normal in the summer months: then the sun shines for an average of 657 hours. But a spring record was just missed, as that stands at 805 hours of sunshine (in 2020).
All that sunshine did lead to other records. For example, March, with 247 hours of sunshine, was sunnier than ever in that first month of the meteorological spring.
And on no fewer than 39 days, the sun shone for more than 80 percent of the day. Never before have there been so many sunny days in spring. The spring of 2025 is therefore in the top five of sunniest seasons ever measured – including summers. Especially the difference with last year is striking: in the past months, the sun shone almost three hundred hours more than in the same season in 2024.
There were a total of 61 so-called mild days. These are days when it is 15 degrees Celsius or warmer in De Bilt. That is also a record. Already on March 21, it was 21.9 degrees Celsius. The highest temperatures this spring were measured on May 1. In Westdorpe in Zeeland it was 29.5 degrees Celsius and in De Bilt 27.4 degrees Celsius.
Natuurschade en risico op branden door tekort aan regenwater
It was not only warm, but with only 66 millimeters of rain, this spring is also in the top three of driest springs ever. Normally, about 159 millimeters fall in three months. That drought led to a significant shortage of rainwater, which is harmful to nature and increases the risk of wildfires.
Weerplaza looks in its analysis at the meteorological spring, which runs from March 1 to May 31. The astronomical spring runs until June 21.