If you take a look at the KNMI map on which the precipitation deficit is shown, you will see that there is a huge shortage in the east and south of the country in particular: the Netherlands is colored dark red. But in other parts too, farmers and shipping, among others, are desperate for more water.
“The national precipitation deficit was 285 millimeters on Friday and that will continue to increase in the coming period. Next Thursday or Friday, the precipitation deficit will in all likelihood increase to more than 300 millimeters. That has only happened 5 times during the growing season since 1906,” says meteorologist Jelmer van der Graaff of Weer.nl.
“At the beginning of the growing season, the precipitation deficit rose to above five percent in the driest years. This was caused by a combination of very dry and extremely sunny weather. In the second half of May and in June, the precipitation deficit stabilized temporarily due to some rain and thunderstorms, but a new very dry period started at the beginning of July. In combination with high temperatures and a lot of sunshine, the precipitation deficit increased rapidly,” says Van der Graaff.
It will be the second time in four years that the national precipitation deficit has risen above 300 millimeters. In 2018, the nationwide precipitation deficit peaked at 309 millimeters on August 9, after which it hovered around 300 millimeters for the rest of August and September. In addition to 2018 and 2022, it has also been very dry in some places in 2019 and 2020. From 2018 to 2020, the national precipitation deficit was more than 200 mm. This has never happened three years in a row before.