Truck blown off the road on the A6 near Oosterzee, 17 February 2022

Friday, February 18, 2022 - 10:22

Code Red alert issued for coastal provinces as Storm Eunice approaches

Meteorological institute KNMI issued a code red weather alarm for Zeeland, Zuid-Holland, Noord-Holland, Friesland, Flevoland, and the IJsselmeergebied starting at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. Storm Eunice will cause very powerful winds in these provinces, with gusts up to 130 kilometers per hour, the KNMI said. The Wadden Islands may see gusts reach 140 kilometers per hour.

A code orange weather warning is in effect for the rest of the country, except for Limburg. The KNMI expects gusts between 100 and 120 kilometers per hour inland. Limburg is covered by a code yellow warning, with gusts up to 90 kilometers expected in the province.

"Significant damage and perilous situations may arise from falling trees and flying objects," the KNMI warned. "The wind will decrease from the south at the end of the evening and into the night to Saturday.

The code red warning applies to Friesland, Noord-Holland, and the IJsselmeer region from 3:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. In Flevoland it applies from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and in Zeeland and Zuid-Holland from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The weather is affecting all types of traffic in the Netherlands. According to Eurocontrol, Schiphol is already facing moderate delays to arriving flights. The delays are expected to increase from 3:00 p.m. On its website, Schiphol reported 155 out of about 500 departures and 142 out of about 500 arrivals canceled.

NS and ProRail already announced that all train traffic would be halted from 2:00 p.m. Some local public transport companies run buses and trams according to the schedule, but travelers are advised to check for current information before departing.

Travelers' organization ANWB warned road users to be careful of very powerful winds on Friday afternoon. Public works department Rijkswaterstaat also warned motorists to be safe. "This is not a storm in a teacup. Prepare well when you hit the road."

The last time a Code Red warning was issued was in July due to heavy rainfall that caused immense flooding in Limburg. It was the third time the strict alert level was given in 2021. Storm Darcy also triggered the alert last February bringing snow and heavy winds. Freezing temperatures with badly iced roadways also led to a Code Red alert a week later.