Surprising Weather Stats: King’s Day Colder and Rainier Than Queen’s Day

Cold and rainy every year on King’s Day on April 27, and Queen’s Day on April 30 used to be sunny. Is that a sentiment not based on facts among many people, or is the weather on King’s Day really worse than it was on Queen’s Day, just three days later?

“I have come to a very surprising decision for myself,” said weather reporter Roosmarijn Knol, who watched it, in the radio program NOS With an eye on tomorrow. “You might be thinking: what difference do these three days make? But if you look at the weather statistics, it turns out that there is a difference between the days.”

What about that? “On April 27 it is on average 15 degrees and on April 30 it is higher than 16 degrees. So April 27 is not less than one degree colder than April 30,” says Knol. “In addition, there will be more rain on that day as well. So in several areas the weather is much less on King’s Day than on Queen’s Day.”

This surprised Knol himself. “I thought maybe it was a few tenths of a degree. No more than 1 degree. That’s a lot different.”

It’s hard to explain that it’s colder and wetter on April 27, says Knol. “It could be that that day is a little closer to winter so it’s a little more variable. You could also say it’s gotten a little warmer in the last few years gone and that there is more moisture in the atmosphere. That is also a trend that we will continue to see with climate change but there is no single clear reason.”

The warmest April 27 and 30 are not far apart, says Knol. “The warmest Queen’s Day was in 1993, when it was 27 degrees. The warmest April 27 was in 2007, when it was 27.3 degrees.

According to Knol, the weather forecast for King’s Eve and King’s Day is not looking rosy this year either. “We are coming out of a changeable weather picture and that will continue on King’s Night. It will be a very cold night, with temperatures between 3 and 6 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow through ​day will not be much warmer than 16, 17 degrees. The temperature is not that low, but from time to time there will be showers throughout the country.

The Red Cross is even warning of low temperatures on King’s Eve and early morning on King’s Day. According to the aid group, it would be good for people to have a sweater or jacket. “Certainly on King’s Eve and early morning, for people who love dress markets, this is not an unnecessary luxury,” says the Red Cross.

The aid group is present today and tomorrow at approximately 120 locations throughout the Netherlands. In Amsterdam and Utrecht, among others, there are permanent positions with emergency responders throughout the city, and three or four volunteers from the Red Cross are present at small events.

Around 5 degrees on King’s Night is not a pleasant sight for people walking around outside. However, it can be cooler forever, says Knol. “Last year it was 1.2 degrees below zero. And Queen’s Eve in 1954 was the coldest night, when it froze 2.5 degrees.”