Severe winter gales battered the Netherlands Thursday forcing Amsterdam airport to cancel all flights, bringing Dutch trains to a halt and toppling trucks as winds reached 140 kilometres (86 miles) an hour.
“Due to severe weather conditions: all air traffic has been suspended until further notice,” Schiphol airport, one of Europe’s busiest flight hubs, said in a tweet.
Air traffic will “gradually restart around 12:00 pm (1100 GMT)”, the airport said.
The cancellations notice came shortly after the Dutch national weather service upped its warning to the highest level.
The westerly storms blowing off the North Sea meant “a code red is in force with very heavy gusts of up to 140 kilometres an hour expected in some areas,” the national weather service (KNMI) said.
“Such heavy gusts bring with them a danger to people and traffic,” it added, warning of the risks of falling trees and urging people not to venture go into the seas, with many Dutch surfers often seen seeking out the highest waves.
Severe winter gales battered the Netherlands Thursday forcing Amsterdam airport to cancel all flights, bringing Dutch trains to a halt and toppling trucks as winds reached 140 kilometres (86 miles) an hour.
“Due to severe weather conditions: all air traffic has been suspended until further notice,” Schiphol airport, one of Europe’s busiest flight hubs, said in a tweet. Air traffic will “gradually restart around 12:00 pm (1100 GMT)”, the airport said.
The cancellations notice came shortly after the Dutch national weather service upped its warning to the highest level.
The westerly storms blowing off the North Sea meant “a code red is in force with very heavy gusts of up to 140 kilometres an hour expected in some areas,” the national weather service (KNMI) said.
“Such heavy gusts bring with them a danger to people and traffic,” it added, warning of the risks of falling trees and urging people not to venture go into the seas, with many Dutch surfers often seen seeking out the highest waves.
With AFP
