Climate in Antwerp (Belgium)

In Antwerp, a city located in the region of Flanders, in the north of Belgium, the climate is sub-oceanic, humid and rainy, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean: winters are cold but not freezing, while summers are mild or pleasantly warm.
The wind blows frequently, and can be intense, especially from November to March.

Precipitation is relatively abundant, 825 millimeters (32.5 inches) per year, but above all, it is common and well distributed throughout the year. However, the rainiest seasons are summer and autumn, and the least rainy season is spring. Rainfall often occurs in the form of short showers or drizzle.

Antwerp does not get a lot of sun, especially from November to February, when the sun rarely shines. It goes a bit better in spring and in summer, when the weather is variable, and between one disturbance and another, the sun can come out.



Winter, from December to February, is cold: temperatures are on average around freezing (0 °C or 32 °F) at night and a few degrees above during the day; wind and humidity often exacerbate the feeling of cold.
However, different weather situations can occur.
When the westerlies blow, temperatures can be quite mild, and can reach 10/12 °C (50/54 °F), but there may be wind and rain.
On the other hand, when the city is affected by cold air masses from Russia, the temperature drops below freezing, for longer or shorter periods, even during the day. The temperature rarely drops below -10 °C (14 °F), however, it can do it in the coldest periods. The coldest record is -18.5 °C (-1.3 °F) and was set in January 1968.
During the "Little Ice Age" (1450-1850), the Scheldt, the river that crosses the city and flows into the sea just north of it, used to freeze quite often; today, this happens very rarely.
Snowfalls in Antwerp are quite frequent, though usually not abundant, and occur in the form of light snow, sometimes, however, snow can accumulate on the ground, and last for many days, if it occurs during cold waves.



Spring, from March to May, is initially cold, with possible snowfalls still in March, and then it gradually becomes milder in April and May, although some cold days, with highs around 10 °C (50 °F), can occur still in May, especially in the first half of the month. However, April and May are, albeit slightly, the least rainy and cloudy months.
Typically, by the second half of May, the temperatures become permanently acceptable, and there can be the first pleasantly warm days, with highs around 25 °C (77 °F) or even above.

Summer, from June to August, is mild or pleasantly warm. The flow of Atlantic fronts does not cease even in this season. The wind blows constantly from the sea, and even rainfall is quite frequent.
However, there are pleasant periods when the daytime temperatures are between 20 °C and 25 °C (68 °F and 77 °F), but also cooler periods when they remain below 20 °C (68 °F). At night, it can be a bit cold, in fact, the temperature can drop below 10 °C (50 °F) even in July and August.
From time to time, there may be hot periods of short duration, in which the temperature can reach or exceed 30 °C (86 °F), which are becoming more frequent due to global warming. The highest record is 40 °C (104 °F), set during the short but exceptional heatwave of July 2019.

Autumn, from September to November, is initially pleasant, ie in the first half of September, then it gradually becomes more cold, dull, wet and windy. The first night frosts usually occur in November, but sometimes also in October.

Best Time

The best time to visit Antwerp runs from mid-May to mid-September, since it is the mildest of the year. July and August are the warmest months. However, it's better to bring a sweatshirt or sweater, a light jacket and an umbrella, for cool and rainy days.

Antwerp - Climate data

In Antwerp, the average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 4 °C (39.1 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 19 °C (66.2 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Precipitation amounts to 825 millimeters (32.5 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 45 mm (1.8 in) in the driest month (April) to 90 mm (3.5 in) in the wettest one (December). Here is the average precipitation.
There are on average around 1630 sunshine hours per year. Here are the average hours of sunshine per day.

Antwerp - Weather by month

Based on the period 1991-2020

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January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of 4 °C (39 °F), with a minimum of 1.4 °C (34.5 °F) and a maximum of 6.5 °C (43.8 °F).
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -7.5 °C (18.5 °F). However, it dropped to -14.9 °C (5.2 °F) in January 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 13.5 °C (56 °F). However, it reached 15.6 °C (60.1 °F) in January 2016.
Precipitation amounts to 70 mm (2.8 in), distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 30 minutes.
There are on average 2 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 22% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is 15 kph (9 mph).

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February is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of 4.4 °C (40 °F), with a minimum of 1.3 °C (34.3 °F) and a maximum of 7.6 °C (45.6 °F).
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -6.5 °C (20.5 °F). However, it dropped to -15.1 °C (4.8 °F) in February 2012.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 14 °C (57 °F). However, it reached 19 °C (66.2 °F) in February 2019.
Precipitation amounts to 55 mm (2.2 in), distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 2.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 27% of the time.
The average humidity is 80%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is 14 kph (9 mph).

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March is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of 7 °C (45 °F), with a minimum of 3 °C (37.4 °F) and a maximum of 11.1 °C (52 °F).
On the coldest nights, which normally occur at the beginning of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -3.5 °C (25.5 °F). However, it dropped to -10.8 °C (12.6 °F) in March 2013.
On the warmest days, which normally occur at the end of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 18.5 °C (65 °F). However, it reached 23 °C (73.4 °F) in March 2017.
Precipitation amounts to 50 mm (2 in), distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 33% of the time.
The average humidity is 75%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is 14 kph (9 mph).

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April is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of 10.3 °C (50 °F), with a minimum of 5.3 °C (41.6 °F) and a maximum of 15.2 °C (59.4 °F).
On the coldest nights, which normally occur at the beginning of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -1 °C (30.5 °F). However, it dropped to -3.7 °C (25.3 °F) in April 1991.
On the warmest days, which normally occur at the end of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 23.5 °C (74.5 °F). However, it reached 28.7 °C (83.7 °F) in April 2018.
Precipitation amounts to 45 mm (1.8 in), distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 42% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is 12 kph (7 mph).

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May is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of 14.1 °C (57 °F), with a minimum of 9.3 °C (48.8 °F) and a maximum of 18.8 °C (65.9 °F).
On the coldest nights, which normally occur at the beginning of the month, the temperature usually drops to around 3 °C (38 °F). However, it dropped to -1.1 °C (30 °F) in May 1996.
On the warmest days, which normally occur at the end of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 27.5 °C (81.5 °F). However, it reached 33 °C (91.4 °F) in May 2005.
Precipitation amounts to 60 mm (2.4 in), distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 15 hours and 35 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 43% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is 12 kph (7 mph).

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June is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of 16.9 °C (62 °F), with a minimum of 12.2 °C (54 °F) and a maximum of 21.5 °C (70.6 °F).
On the coldest nights, which normally occur at the beginning of the month, the temperature usually drops to around 6.5 °C (43.5 °F). However, it dropped to 3.5 °C (38.3 °F) in June 2006.
On the warmest days, which normally occur at the end of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 30 °C (86.5 °F). However, it reached 34.4 °C (93.9 °F) in June 2005.
Precipitation amounts to 75 mm (3 in), distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 16 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 41% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%.
The average wind speed is 11 kph (7 mph).

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July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of 19 °C (66 °F), with a minimum of 14.4 °C (57.9 °F) and a maximum of 23.6 °C (74.6 °F).
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around 9.5 °C (49.5 °F). However, it dropped to 6.2 °C (43.2 °F) in July 2015.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 32 °C (89.5 °F). However, it reached 40.2 °C (104.4 °F) in July 2019.
Precipitation amounts to 85 mm (3.3 in), distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 16 hours and 0 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 43% of the time.
The average humidity is 70%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is 11 kph (7 mph).

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August is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of 18.7 °C (66 °F), with a minimum of 13.9 °C (56.9 °F) and a maximum of 23.5 °C (74.3 °F).
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around 8.5 °C (47.5 °F). However, it dropped to 4.9 °C (40.8 °F) in August 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 31.5 °C (89 °F). However, it reached 35.5 °C (95.9 °F) in August 2012.
Precipitation amounts to 85 mm (3.3 in), distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 72%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is 10 kph (6 mph).

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September is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of 15.5 °C (60 °F), with a minimum of 11 °C (51.7 °F) and a maximum of 20 °C (67.9 °F).
On the coldest nights, which normally occur at the end of the month, the temperature usually drops to around 5.5 °C (41.5 °F). However, it dropped to 1.1 °C (34 °F) in September 2018.
On the warmest days, which normally occur at the beginning of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 26.5 °C (80 °F). However, it reached 34.4 °C (93.9 °F) in September 2020.
Precipitation amounts to 70 mm (2.8 in), distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 38% of the time.
The average humidity is 76%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is 11 kph (7 mph).

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October is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of 11.5 °C (53 °F), with a minimum of 7.7 °C (45.8 °F) and a maximum of 15.3 °C (59.5 °F).
On the coldest nights, which normally occur at the end of the month, the temperature usually drops to around 1 °C (34 °F). However, it dropped to -4.7 °C (23.5 °F) in October 2003.
On the warmest days, which normally occur at the beginning of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 22 °C (72 °F). However, it reached 26.2 °C (79.2 °F) in October 2011.
Precipitation amounts to 65 mm (2.6 in), distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 3.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 35% of the time.
The average humidity is 81%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is 12 kph (7 mph).

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November is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of 7.4 °C (45 °F), with a minimum of 4.4 °C (40 °F) and a maximum of 10.3 °C (50.5 °F).
On the coldest nights, which normally occur at the end of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -2.5 °C (27.5 °F). However, it dropped to -8.6 °C (16.5 °F) in November 1998.
On the warmest days, which normally occur at the beginning of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 16.5 °C (62 °F). However, it reached 20.3 °C (68.5 °F) in November 1994.
Precipitation amounts to 80 mm (3.1 in), distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 2 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 23% of the time.
The average humidity is 84%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is 12 kph (8 mph).

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December is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of 4.5 °C (40 °F), with a minimum of 2.1 °C (35.8 °F) and a maximum of 6.9 °C (44.5 °F).
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around -6 °C (21 °F). However, it dropped to -12.2 °C (10 °F) in December 2010.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around 13.5 °C (56.5 °F). However, it reached 16.3 °C (61.3 °F) in December 2000.
Precipitation amounts to 90 mm (3.5 in), distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 0 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 1.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 19% of the time.
The average humidity is 85%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is 14 kph (9 mph).