More major traffic disruptions hit the Netherlands as snow continues

The Netherlands has seen major disruptions to flights, trains and road traffic over the past few days due to snowy conditions. Residents can expect the inconvenience to continue as more snow and wintry weather are forecast for the rest of the week.

The Netherlands comes to near standstill due to snow

On Monday, a code orange weather warning was issued by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) due to snowy and icy conditions. All flights at Schiphol Airport were cancelled, there were heavy traffic jams and major train disruptions. There are still several delays and cancellations affecting flights to and from Dutch airports on Tuesday. 

As a code yellow weather warning remains in place for the whole of the Netherlands until Thursday, residents can expect the traffic disruptions to continue until later in the week. Indeed, on Tuesday morning, no trains were running throughout the Netherlands until 10am due to switch disruptions. 

While train traffic has begun to resume, there are still no trains running around Amsterdam and more disruptions are expected throughout the day. Dutch rail operator NS recommends that travellers “only travel if absolutely necessary” and to use the journey planner before leaving for the station. 

Roads already saw 535 kilometres of traffic jams across the Netherlands by 8.15am, according to the motorist organisation ANWB. Accidents due to the icy roads are causing traffic to back up. Drivers are urged to drive carefully or remain at home if possible.

Winter weather remains for the week in the Netherlands

The Netherlands has already seen a lot of snowfall this week, and it’s not over yet. On Tuesday, mostly coastal areas will see more snow, but on Wednesday, heavy snowfall is expected across the country. Up to 7 centimetres of snow is expected, according to Weeronline.

Not only will it be snowy, but it will also be windy, with gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour possible. The combination will make for a very wintry wind chill as low as -10 degrees celsius. The weather forecaster warns that this could cause more traffic disruptions.

Thursday and Friday could see more snow, but there is also the possibility of rain as we head into the weekend. Temperatures will start to rise next week, and more rain is expected.