The Netherlands had its warmest autumn in 300 years this year, data from Dutch meteorological bureau KNMI have confirmed.

 

The average temperature in September, October and November this year was 13.6 degrees Celsius, even warmer than initially expected 13.2 to 13.5 degrees, Dutch news agency reported Thursday.

 

This broke the previous autumn record of 12 degrees, which was set in 2005. A KNMI spokesman said breaking the record by more than a degree was rare.

 

KNMI said the exceptionally warm autumn was due to three factors: global warming, the southerly wind that blew warm air to the Netherlands for almost the entire season and the time-lag effect of the exceptionally warm summer.

 

The warm autumn weather has led to a decline in the amount of household energy use.

 

Dutch energy sector association EnergieNed calculated that a customer with average energy use saved 70 euros during the September-November period this year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 1, 2006)