The bloemencorso flower parade in the bulb growing area of the Bollenstreek will take place a week earlier from next year because of climate change, local broadcaster Omroep West reports.

The increasingly mild winters are making it more difficult to get flowers for the floats, organiser Esther de Hertog told the broadcaster. ‘The flowers are out earlier than usual and we will have to adapt to that.’

Winters have been getting significantly warmer, the broadcaster’s weatherman Huub Mizee said. ‘This winter too is very mild. We have had no snow and no freezing temperatures, a unique situation. December is on average two degrees warmer. We even measured 14 degrees on December 17.’

Bulb growers are not worried the Bloemencorso might run into trouble. ‘The fields may flower early but that doesn’t really make any difference to the product,’ Prisca Kleijn, spokesperson for the bulb growers’ association told the broadcaster.

The Keukenhof in Lisse announced earlier it was planting 30% more bulbs to tackle unpredictable temperatures and bringing forward opening times.

The flower parade will take place on April 17 from next year. This year it will be held on April 25.