This April was the sunniest April since official records began in 1901, with 285 hours of sunshine, the KNMI weather bureau has confirmed.

April 2020’s sunshine levels beat the previous record – April 2007 – by five hours. On average, the sun shines for 178 hours in the month although April has become sunnier since 1991and now enjoys an average 195 hours of sunshine.

The month was also the second driest on record, with just 10 millimetres of rain falling, compared with 42 millimetres in the average April.

It rained on just six separate days at the De Bilt weather station near Utrecht, and only on four days in the south. Most of the rain – 7.5 millimetres – fell in the last three days.

May has brought an abrupt change to the spring weather, with showers over most of the country, possibly bringing thunder and hail on Friday afternoon and evening.

The storm will continue to move over the country overnight, and it will be windy on the coast. Saturday will start out stormy, but the rain will clear and there may be some sunny spells in the afternoon. But it will remain windy in coastal areas, the KNMI said.

From Tuesday it will be dry again, with sunny spells and cloud and temperatures moving into the high teens as the week progresses.