Utrecht, a historic city in the centre of the Netherlands, sits inland on the flat Dutch plain, at the point where the Rhine once branched, at approximately 52.09°N, 5.12°E. Its inland position gives it a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — mild, cloudy and changeable — with slightly warmer summers and cooler winters than the Dutch coast, and rain in every month.

Summer, from June to August, is mild to warm, with July the warmest month — average highs around 23°C — a degree or two warmer than the coast, and occasional heatwaves can push temperatures past 33°C. Atlantic fronts keep the season changeable, with thundery showers frequent, but it is the sunniest and most agreeable time of year.

Winter, from December to February, is cold and damp rather than severe, with January the coolest month — average highs around 6°C and lows near 0°C, slightly colder than the coast. Frost is common on clear nights, snow falls but rarely lies long, and the season is more often grey, wet and windy than icy, with short daylight.

Utrecht receives around 800–850 mm of precipitation a year, spread through every month with a summer and autumn maximum; rain is usually light and frequent rather than heavy. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Utrecht's inland position, away from the tempering North Sea, gives it marginally warmer summers and cooler, frostier winters than the Dutch coastal cities — enough that in rare cold winters the canals freeze hard enough to skate on, a national obsession in the Netherlands.

To follow any single measurement in Utrecht more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.