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SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Amsterdam in August

Amsterdam in August: 43% of days see measurable rain, 72°F average high, 22% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Amsterdam in August is historically a poor month for sun: only 22% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 72°F). June is the clearest month for Amsterdam historically. Historical average, not a forecast.

What you are reading: 8-year historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis, not a forecast. A month that is historically 90% clear can still be overcast on your specific trip. For this week’s actual forecast, see the live Amsterdam page. Both can be true at once: “historically strong in this month; this particular week is not.” We label which is which.

Early vs. Late August

Clear-sky percentage for Amsterdam in August, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early August
1st–15th		 28% n=120 72°F
Late August
16th–end		 16% n=128 72°F
Full month average 22% n=248 72°F

Sunshine & warmth in August

A second measure using actual sunshine hours (ERA5 sunshine_duration), not the daily weather code. A Lowcountry day with 12 hours of sun and a 25-minute afternoon storm is counted below as a warm, sunny day — because it was. How we define this.

Sunshine-based metrics for Amsterdam in August. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early August
1st–15th		 44% n=120
Late August
16th–end		 35% n=128
Full month average 39% n=248
12.4 h median sunshine per day 83% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 43% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 22%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 39%. The 17-point gap is from brief afternoon convective storms that stamp the whole day as “rain” in the WMO code but leave the bulk of the sunshine untouched.

Bottom line

Amsterdam is mostly overcast in August historically: only 22% of days are clear across 8 years (n=248), avg high 72°F. If you want sun in Amsterdam, June is historically much better. Most visitors this month will see more clouds than sun.

→ See all destinations in June — historically the best month for sun in Amsterdam.

Every month in Amsterdam

Compare across all months with data. Numbers are historical clear-sky %.

Historical clear-sky % for Amsterdam, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 0% n=226 All destinations →
March 0% n=248 All destinations →
April 2% n=240 All destinations →
May 7% n=248 All destinations →
June 22% n=240 All destinations →
July 19% n=248 All destinations →
August ← this page 22% n=248 All destinations →
September 12% n=240 All destinations →
October 2% n=248 All destinations →
November 0% n=240 All destinations →
December 0% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Amsterdam in August?

Sometimes. Amsterdam sees measurable rain on 43% of days in August historically (n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025) — not frequent enough to plan around, but not negligible either.

Is Amsterdam good for sun in August?

Not usually. Amsterdam is historically overcast in August: only 22% of days are clear (avg high 72°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). June is historically far better for sun here.

How Amsterdam compares in August

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Amsterdam this month — same passport tier, similar flight distance, both sides from the same 8-year ERA5 record.

All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.