Netherlands records warmest summer since 1901
Average temperature of 19.3°C surpassed the 2018 record, with multiple heatwaves and warm nights.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Photo: Depositphotos.com
Photograph: Dutch News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- The summer of 2026 was the warmest in the Netherlands since records began in 1901.
- The average temperature reached 19.3°C at the KNMI's benchmark station in De Bilt, surpassing the 2018 record of 18.9°C.
- The season was characterised by multiple heatwaves and exceptionally warm nights, including three consecutive nights above 22°C in Maastricht.
- Climate expert Peter Siegmund stated that such a warm summer could occur once every five years in the current climate, a frequency expected to increase.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 31 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 41 of the 72 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
60/100
Craft
60/100
Hype
20/100
72 sources · methodology
The summer of 2026 was the warmest in the Netherlands since national records commenced in 1901. Data from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) shows the average temperature across the three summer months reached 19.3°C at its benchmark station in De Bilt. This figure surpassed the previous record of 18.9°C, which was set in 2018.
The season was marked by multiple heatwaves and exceptionally warm nights. In Maastricht, the temperature remained above 22°C for three consecutive nights, a phenomenon recorded for the first time in the Netherlands. The KNMI issued its first-ever code red warning for extreme heat in June.
KNMI climate expert Peter Siegmund indicated that a summer with such high temperatures can now be expected approximately once every five years under the current climate conditions. He also stated that under the KNMI's highest climate scenario, a summer like this could be considered average by around 2050.
Coverage comparison
What the coverage left out
None of the centre or right-rated reports printed below mention the public health institute RIVM's figure of at least 900 excess deaths linked to the June heatwave. This detail was present in the full report from Dutch News.
Coverage settled. We checked this 8 times and stopped on 2 Sept 2026, 00:00. The figures above are what it finished at.
How other outlets pictured it
Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Netherlands records warmest summer since 1901
Anadolu Ajansı — embedded from source
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
4 rated outlets
- The left-leaning outlets reported that Germany recorded 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer, according to the Robert Koch Institute. The Local's full report stated that people over 75 were most affected, with around 9,600 deaths in late June.
- The Local's report included comments from Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Thorsten Frei of the CDU party regarding government responsibility for heat protection. Environmental Action Germany criticised the government for failing to adopt effective measures.
- The digests from Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Zeit Online, and Le Monde focused on the RKI's death toll estimate. Le Monde specified that the late June heatwave alone caused over 9,600 deaths.
Centre
11 rated outlets
- The centre-rated reports from Dutch News and Algemeen Dagblad led with the record-breaking temperature. Both noted the average temperature of 19.3°C and that it surpassed the 2018 record. Dutch News also highlighted the KNMI's first-ever code red warning for extreme heat and linked at least 900 excess deaths to the June heatwave, citing the public health institute RIVM. This report also included comments from KNMI climate expert Peter Siegmund on the increasing frequency of such summers and future projections.
Right
16 rated outlets
- The right-rated reports from Anadolu Ajansı, BNR Nieuwsradio, anews.com.tr, and NOS focused on the record-breaking nature of the summer. They all stated the average temperature reached 19.3°C, exceeding the 2018 record. Anadolu Ajansı and anews.com.tr mentioned the prolonged drought and exceptionally warm nights. Anadolu Ajansı also quoted KNMI climate expert Peter Siegmund on the frequency of such summers and future climate scenarios, including the potential impact of effective climate policies. NOS reported that the summer was the warmest ever recorded in the Netherlands and that the 19.3°C average was a significant leap from the previous record.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Netherlands records warmest summer since 1901?
- Of the 31 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 13% are rated left, 35% are rated centre, 52% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 72. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Netherlands records warmest summer since 1901 left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 31 rated outlets on this story, 13% are rated left, 35% are rated centre, 52% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Netherlands records warmest summer since 1901 biased?
- Netherlands records warmest summer since 1901 is one event reported by 72 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which outlets covered Netherlands records warmest summer since 1901?
- 72 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What was the average temperature during the summer of 2026 in the Netherlands?
- The average temperature during the summer of 2026 in the Netherlands was 19.3°C. This was recorded at the KNMI's benchmark station in De Bilt and surpassed the previous record.
- When was the previous record for the warmest summer in the Netherlands?
- The previous record for the warmest summer in the Netherlands was set in 2018, with an average temperature of 18.9°C. The 2026 summer surpassed this by nearly half a degree.
- What unusual weather events occurred during the summer of 2026?
- The summer of 2026 was marked by multiple heatwaves and exceptionally warm nights. In Maastricht, the temperature stayed above 22°C for three consecutive nights for the first time on record.
- How often are summers like this expected in the future?
- According to KNMI climate expert Peter Siegmund, a summer as warm as 2026 can now be expected roughly once every five years in the current climate. This frequency is expected to shorten as global warming continues.
Read it at the source
72 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
4- Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens The Local - De in a new tab)
The Local - De — is The Local - De biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heat in Germany: 15,800 Heat-Related Deaths, over 75 Years of Age Particularly Affected (opens Le Monde in a new tab)
- Already 15,800 People Died From Heat This Year (opens Sueddeutsche Zeitung in a new tab)
Sueddeutsche Zeitung — is Sueddeutsche Zeitung biased? Our profile of this outlet
- RKI Estimate: By Mid-August About 15,800 People Died From Heat (opens Zeit Online in a new tab)
Zeit Online — is Zeit Online biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
11- Heat - RKI: Higher Mortality Rates in Germany During Hot Week in Mid-August (opens Deutschlandfunk in a new tab)
Deutschlandfunk — is Deutschlandfunk biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Hesse Counts as Many Heat Dead as Never Before – and This Already in August (opens hna.de in a new tab)
- Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens Radio France Internationale in a new tab)
Radio France Internationale — is Radio France Internationale biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany. A Terrible Record of Nearly 16,000 Deaths Linked to the Heatwave This Summer. (opens ledauphine.com in a new tab)
ledauphine.com — is ledauphine.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens Times of Malta in a new tab)
Times of Malta — is Times of Malta biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens France24 in a new tab)
- Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens Morgan County Citizen in a new tab)
Morgan County Citizen — is Morgan County Citizen biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Summer of 2026 Is the Warmest Since Measurements Began. (opens Algemeen Dagblad in a new tab)
Algemeen Dagblad — is Algemeen Dagblad biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 3 more
- Germany: Heat-Related Deaths in the Summer Hit a New Record with About 15,800 Deaths (opens Sud Ouest in a new tab)
- Summer 2026 was Netherlands’ hottest ever recorded - DutchNews.nl (opens Dutch News in a new tab)
Dutch News — is Dutch News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- RKI: Around 15,800 People Died From Heat (opens osthessen-news.de in a new tab)
osthessen-news.de — is osthessen-news.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
16- What Impact on Our Health After a Record Summer? (opens Le Parisien in a new tab)
Le Parisien — is Le Parisien biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens The Standard in a new tab)
The Standard — is The Standard biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Record Heatwave Deaths in Germany, over 15,800 Dead Due to Extreme Temperatures (opens Protothema in a new tab)
Protothema — is Protothema biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany's 'extreme summer' sees record 15,800 heat-related deaths (opens Daily Sabah in a new tab)
Daily Sabah — is Daily Sabah biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens Free Malaysia Today News in a new tab)
Free Malaysia Today News — is Free Malaysia Today News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- 2026 Saw the Hottest Summer Ever (opens BNR Nieuwsradio in a new tab)
BNR Nieuwsradio — is BNR Nieuwsradio biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany Records Record Number of 15.8 Thousand Heat-Related Deaths This Summer (opens Globo in a new tab)
- RKI Reports Alarming Record High: Around 15,800 Heat-Related Deaths This Summer (opens Berliner Morgenpost in a new tab)
Berliner Morgenpost — is Berliner Morgenpost biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 8 more
- New Evaluation: RKI Expects Almost 16,000 Heat-Related Deaths This Summer (opens Welt in a new tab)
- Netherlands records warmest summer on record (opens Anadolu Ajansı in a new tab)
Anadolu Ajansı — is Anadolu Ajansı biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Especially in One Age Group: RKI Reports 15,800 Heat Dead Due to Extreme Temperatures (opens n-tv in a new tab)
- Netherlands records warmest summer on record (opens anews.com.tr in a new tab)
anews.com.tr — is anews.com.tr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Around 15,800 People Died From Heat (opens Frankfurter Allgemeine in a new tab)
Frankfurter Allgemeine — is Frankfurter Allgemeine biased? Our profile of this outlet
- By Mid-August About 15,800 People Died From Heat (opens focus.de in a new tab)
- Estimate of Heat Deaths: RKI: Around 15,800 People Died From Heat (opens Handelsblatt in a new tab)
Handelsblatt — is Handelsblatt biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Summer 2026 Is the Warmest Ever Recorded in the Netherlands. (opens NOS in a new tab)
Not rated
41- Germany records around 15,800 heat related deaths (opens Starvision News in a new tab)
Starvision News — is Starvision News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Unprecedented Heatwave Deaths in This European Country (opens خبرآنلاین in a new tab)
خبرآنلاین
- Germany records 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens risingnepaldaily.com in a new tab)
risingnepaldaily.com — is risingnepaldaily.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany records 15,800 heat-related deaths in severe summer heatwaves - Lagos Television (opens lagostelevision.com in a new tab)
lagostelevision.com — is lagostelevision.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- More News at a Glance (opens 17:30live Rheinland Pfalz/Hessen in a new tab)
- So Far More than 3,600 People Died in Baden-Württemberg Due to Heat (opens baden.fm in a new tab)
- A Decade-Long Record Has Been Broken, and the Brutal Heat Is Claiming Its Victims in Droves. (opens Index in a new tab)
- Heatdead 2026 at Its Peak: RKI Reports About 15,800 Deaths in Germany (opens mdr.de in a new tab)
Show 33 more
- Germany Heatwave 2024: Record 15,800 Heat-Related Deaths This Summer (opens MondialNews in a new tab)
MondialNews — is MondialNews biased? Our profile of this outlet
- About 2,200 Heat Dead in Hesse - How Does the State Government React? (opens hessenschau.de in a new tab)
hessenschau.de — is hessenschau.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heatwave: 15,800 Heat-Related Deaths in Germany, a Record (opens Reporterre, le quotidien de l'écologie… in a new tab)
- Heat Wave Raises to 15,800 the Number of Deaths in Germany and Beats New Record (opens SIC Notícias in a new tab)
SIC Notícias — is SIC Notícias biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany: More than 15,000 Heat-Related Deaths This Summer, Record (opens La Croix in a new tab)
- Germany records record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens Insider Paper in a new tab)
Insider Paper — is Insider Paper biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany. A Terrible Record of Nearly 16,000 Deaths Linked to the Heatwave This Summer. (opens republicain-lorrain.fr in a new tab)
republicain-lorrain.fr — is republicain-lorrain.fr biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany. A Terrible Record of Nearly 16,000 Deaths Linked to the Heatwave This Summer. (opens bienpublic.com in a new tab)
bienpublic.com — is bienpublic.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany. A Terrible Record of Nearly 16,000 Deaths Linked to the Heatwave This Summer. (opens dna.fr in a new tab)
- Summer 2026 Is Warmest Since Measurements Began (opens Nieuws.nl in a new tab)
- Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens coastaltvnews.com in a new tab)
coastaltvnews.com — is coastaltvnews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Series of punishing heatwaves: Germany reports record 15,800 heat-related deaths this summer (opens rtl.lu in a new tab)
- Summer 2026 Is Warmest Since Measurements Began (opens dvhn.nl in a new tab)
- About 15,800 Heat-Related Deaths This Summer in Germany (opens Noticias ao Minuto in a new tab)
Noticias ao Minuto — is Noticias ao Minuto biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Summer of 2026 Is the Warmest Since Measurements Began. (opens gelderlander.nl in a new tab)
gelderlander.nl — is gelderlander.nl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Summer of 2026 Is the Warmest Since Measurements Began. (opens bd.nl in a new tab)
- The Summer of 2026 Is the Warmest Since Measurements Began. (opens tubantia.nl in a new tab)
tubantia.nl — is tubantia.nl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- The Summer of 2026 Is the Warmest Since Measurements Began. (opens bndestem.nl in a new tab)
bndestem.nl — is bndestem.nl biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Summer 2026 Breaks Heat Record with 19.3 Degrees in De Bilt (opens tpo.nl in a new tab)
- About 15,800 Heat-Related Deaths This Summer in Germany (opens Correio da Manhã in a new tab)
Correio da Manhã — is Correio da Manhã biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Germany Records Record 15,800 Heat Deaths in Summer (opens pmo.ee in a new tab)
- Heat Dead After Record Summer: More than One in Five Deaths Comes From This Federal State (opens swr.online in a new tab)
swr.online — is swr.online biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heat Summer in NRW: More than 3100 Heat Deaths (opens ikz-online.de in a new tab)
ikz-online.de — is ikz-online.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Heat Summer in NRW: More than 3100 Heat Deaths (opens wr.de in a new tab)
- Heat Summer in NRW: More than 3100 Heat Deaths (opens Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung in a new tab)
- RKI Figures: Around 550 People in Saxony Died From Heat (opens Leipziger Volkszeitung in a new tab)
Leipziger Volkszeitung — is Leipziger Volkszeitung biased? Our profile of this outlet
- RKI: More than 15,000 Heat Dead in Germany – One Age Group Particularly Affected (opens noz.de in a new tab)
- RKI: More than 3,000 Heat Dead in NRW (opens RN in a new tab)
- RKI: Around 15,800 Heat Dead in Germany (opens ORF.at News in a new tab)
ORF.at News — is ORF.at News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- RKI: Around 15,800 People Died From Heat (opens bbv-net.de in a new tab)
bbv-net.de — is bbv-net.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
- RKI: Around 15,800 People Died From Heat (opens aachener-zeitung.de in a new tab)
aachener-zeitung.de — is aachener-zeitung.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Estimate of Heat Deaths: RKI: Around 15,800 People Died From Heat (opens geo in a new tab)
- By Mid-August About 15,800 People Died From Heat (opens inFranken.de in a new tab)
inFranken.de — is inFranken.de biased? Our profile of this outlet
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