August was sunny and warm and there’s a warm weekend ahead

August has been dry and sunny but has not beaten any records, weather bureau Weeronline said on Friday.

August 2024 was the fifth warmest on record, with an average temperature of 19.3°, up 1.3 degrees from the usual 18°.

The sun came out for 248 hours, 43 hours more than average, putting it in sixth place on the sunny August list. It was drier than usual, with just 58 millimetres of rain instead of the 89 millimetre average, the weather bureau said.

No heatwaves were recorded in August or for the whole of the summer, which the forecaster said is unusual. The last time this happened was in 2011.

The hottest day of the year was August 13 in Nieuw Beerta when the thermometer clocked 34.9°.

August highlights included the northern lights and shooting stars, which could be seen on August 13.

The final Saturday of the month will be warm, with sunshine in the afternoon following a morning dominated by cloud and showers. Temperatures will reach between 24° and 27° across the country.

On Sunday temperatures will go up even more, with temperatures up to 30°. The evening and morning of Monday will bring heavy showers, Weeronline forecast.

According to the KNMI weather bureau, next week will also be warm, with temperatures in the mid 20s, but there will also be rain at times. The long-term forecast is for slightly cooler, changeable weather towards the middle of the month.