The lack of rain so far this month means November 2011 may be the driest since 1906, the KNMI weather bureau said on Friday.

An area of high pressure over eastern Europe and the dry southeasterly wind have kept the rain at bay for most of the month, the KNMI said.
So far this month, just four millimetres of rain have fallen, and 10 more are set to fall over the next few days, weather bureau weeronline is quoted as saying. On average, there is some 80 mm of rainfall in November.
The prolonged drought is also affecting shipping on Europe’s inland waterways with water levels in the Rhine reaching record lows.