The Netherlands in the grip of its strongest summer storm on record

July 5, 2023

The Netherlands is in the grip of its strongest summer storm on record on Wednesday and hundreds of flights had to be canceled at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, one of Europe’s main airports, while roads are blocked .

Raging winds of up to 146 km/h are blowing across the country as Storm Poly hits the North Sea coast, knocking down trees and leading Dutch authorities to advise people to stay at home.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has warned that a combination of strong winds, rain and poor visibility is causing “very limited air traffic” both departing and arriving, at least until 3 p.m. (1300 GMT ).

More than 300 flights have been canceled at Schiphol Airport, one of Europe’s biggest air hubs, according to public broadcaster NOS.

In the north of the country, trains were halted for safety reasons and a major highway was cut off in Alkmaar, near Amsterdam, after a truck accident, according to Dutch authorities.

The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) has issued a “code red” alert — the highest level — for four regions in the north of the country.

The government has sent out a mobile phone alert asking people to stay at home in the province of North Holland which includes the city of Amsterdam. It is recommended to call the overwhelmed emergency services only in life-threatening situations.

Force 11 winds, the second highest level on the Beaufort scale, were measured in the port of IJmuiden in North Holland, “the strongest summer storm ever measured” in the country, according to the Dutch site forecast Weerplaza.

A gust of 146 km/h measured in IJmuiden is also the strongest ever recorded in summer in the Netherlands where the storm season usually extends from October to April, according to this site.

With around a third of its territory below sea level, the Netherlands is particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events and the effects of climate change.

Rising sea levels are one of the most important consequences of global warming in the Netherlands, according to the National Meteorological Institute (KNMI).

On the night of January 31 to February 1, 1953, a tidal wave caused by winds from a violent depression in the North Sea killed more than 2,500 people in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom, including 1,836 Dutch.