Thunderstorms and rain are set to move across the Netherlands on Tuesday afternoon, with the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) having issued a code yellow weather warning for many parts of the country. The warnings come just days after the northern parts of the Netherlands were hit by heavy rain and flooding.
The KNMI has issued a yellow weather warning for storms in eight Dutch provinces. These are active from 4pm to 11pm on May 21, and apply to the regions of Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Zeeland, Flevoland, Utrecht, Noord-Brabant, Gelderland and Limburg.
In the provinces of Friesland, Overijssel, Drenthe and Groningen, there are no weather warnings in place, but residents should expect some rainy weather throughout the afternoon and evening.
During thunderstorms, the KNMI warns that up to 30mm of rain can fall in an hour, and those living in the Netherlands could see hailstones of between 1 and 2 cm in diameter. The wind speeds in the Netherlands are also set to rise as the storms set in.
Gusts of wind could also pose a risk to those heading out of the office this evening, and could even have an impact on departures and arrivals at Dutch airports. The KNMI website states that during the storms, wind gusts could get up to 70 kilometres per hour, so those outside should take care of the risk of falling objects such as roof tiles or broken branches.
The KNMI has several key pieces of advice for people outside during thunderstorms in the Netherlands: avoid going out into open areas such as open water or meadows due to the (low) risk of a lightning strike, and take specific precautions if you are caught off-guard by a thunderstorm while you are outside - do not shelter under trees or use an umbrella and stay away from high points.
Instead, crouch down with your feet together, wrap your arms around your legs and do not lie down. Do not sit together as a group.