2023 is poised to go down in history as the wettest year on record in the Netherlands since official measurements commenced in 1901, and the rainfall shows no signs of letting up until the

month's end.

At 13 of the country's weather stations, approximately 1100 millimeters of rain have already been recorded, surpassing the previous record set in 1998 by just one millimeter. Over the past few decades, the average rainfall has been around 853 millimeters.

"A substantial amount of rain has fallen, and more is on the horizon," stated a spokesperson for the KNMI weather bureau. "It appears highly likely that the record for rainfall will indeed be broken."

The remainder of 2023 is expected to remain changeable and relatively warm for the season, according to NOS weatherman Peter Kuipers Munneke. "We anticipate rainfall virtually every day. This month, we've seen 75 millimeters already, with projections of 50 to 70 millimeters in the final week."

Christmas Day, on December 25, is forecasted to be particularly rainy, although there might be some sunshine on December 26.

The persistent rainfall has posed significant challenges for some water boards, leading to efforts such as the use of sandbags in Limburg to elevate the dyke along the Roer river near Vlodrop.

The KNMI released its latest climate predictions last month, indicating that Dutch summers will become warmer, while winters will become wetter due to global warming. "Each season will experience higher temperatures, more tropical days, and fewer instances of all-day freezing," the agency stated.

November marked the wettest November on record, with rainfall measuring twice the average amount. Photo by Prakash Pali, Wikimedia commons.