Summer is in full swing, and it's getting hot—that's for sure. Unless, of course, you're in the Southern Hemisphere, where it's actually winter. But here in Europe, in the gezellige country called the Netherlands, it's summer. And it's been wild.
The heatwave struck on Friday, 26 June, like a Shinkansen train hitting a fly—mercilessly, directly, with no questions asked and no replies given. Temperatures soared up to 40°C. Schools closed. Panic mode activated. Code red, I repeat, code red.
The headlines in the media eagerly reflected this (ignoring previous weeks of just bad weather and cold):
Code Red heat alarm for temps up to 40°C: Many schools closed; Stay off the roads
Defqon.1 festival canceled as Netherlands issues code red alarm for extreme heat
Heatwave breaks June 26 record as museums open cooling spaces
“Unmistakably” climate change: Current heat virtually impossible 50 years ago
Friday has become the hottest June 26 on record in the Netherlands. The temperature in Woensdrecht, Noord-Brabant, climbed to 34.4 degrees Celsius during the morning and is expected to rise further. According to Weeronline, the previous record dated back to June 26, 1976, when 34.1 degrees Celsius was measured in the village of Hupsel in the Achterhoek.
The Netherlands officially set a new June 26 heat record after the temperature at the main weather station in De Bilt reached 33.2 degrees Celsius at 12:30 p.m., according to the KNMI. That surpassed the previous record of 32.9 degrees Celsius, which had stood since 1976.
The current heatwave in Europe is “unmistakably” caused by climate change, research collective World Weather Attribution (WWA) concluded in an analysis in which researchers from the KNMI also participated. According to the researchers, the current temperatures would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago.
The scientists compared the current heatwave to the situation in 1976, when heat records were set in several European countries. They also looked at the first major heatwave of this century in 2003.
The debate about climate change and global warming erupted again, like a bunch of mushrooms after a summer rain in the forest. Is it getting worse? Are we past the point of no return? Was the weather actually cooling down in the '70s?
Pick a side and fight.
Breaking news, this just got in: this situation lasted exact 1 (one) day.
The previous day (Thursday) was warm but not exaggerated, and heavy rains follow on Sunday. It's still warm and nice for a BBQ, but nothing out of the ordinary.
The weather forecast for the next week shows normal temperatures. Here Amsterdam, last week of June, first of July.
Happy BBQeuing everyone! Don't forget to properly inflate your pool and stay hydrated.
