Ongoing Strong wind cancels dozens of Schiphol flights
Strong westerly wind from low-pressure area Boelo has cut flights at Schiphol and brought down trees across the Netherlands. KLM alone has cancelled 149 flights to and from the airport. Code yellow is in force in part of the country.
Dozens of flights from Schiphol were cancelled on Sunday because of strong wind, an airport spokesperson said. Many were KLM flights, but easyJet and Lufthansa also cancelled services.
The westerly wind means not all runways can be used, so fewer aircraft can arrive and depart. Airlines are adjusting their schedules, the spokesperson said, and travellers should expect cancellations and delays. Schiphol said passengers get information about their flight directly from their airline. KLM had already cancelled dozens of flights on Friday and Saturday.
The KNMI, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, warns of heavy gusts along the coast and has issued code yellow for part of the country.
Trees down, trains halted
A tree fell on the railway between Lochem and Goor, so no trains ran there on Sunday morning. In Amsterdam-Noord, a tree fell on a moving car.
The fire brigade was called out continuously for storm damage on Sunday morning, for example to trees on the Provincialeweg in Oosteind and on the N207 near Alphen aan den Rijn.
In Friesland, the safety region (veiligheidsregio) told people to call 112 only in case of acute danger, not for fallen trees or branches. "That keeps 112 available for situations where people or animals are in immediate danger," it said.
KLM said it has cancelled 149 flights to and from Schiphol because of the wind. All affected passengers were informed on Saturday and are being rebooked on the first available option, the airline said.
"We find it very unfortunate for the travellers affected by this," a KLM spokesperson said.
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KNMI (Koninklijk Nederlands Meteorologisch Instituut)
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute is the national weather service of the Netherlands. It measures and forecasts the weather and climate, keeps the official climate records, and issues weather warnings for storms, heavy rain, fog and other hazards using a colour code from green (no warning) through yellow, orange and red (most severe). These warnings are what local authorities, emergency services and the public rely on when severe weather is expected.