Another busy rush hour with heavy rainfall expected in parts of the Netherlands

After the worst morning rush hour of the year, the evening commute was already becoming difficult in the Netherlands by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. That situation worsened, with 413 kilometers of traffic jams on Dutch highways by 5 p.m., and 475 kilometers of traffic at 5:15 p.m., according to the ANWB. Most of the country was likely to be affected by drizzle, with heavier showers expected to affect the northernmost and southernmost regions.

Some of the worst jams were on the A58 in both directions between Breda and Eindhoven, especially around Tilburg. There were also issues on the A2 between Utrecht and Den Bosch, particularly between Culemborg and Zaltbommel where a crash between two cars and a larger SUV caused the closure of two out of the three southbound lanes.

More problems were reported on the A12 from Utrecht to Den Haag and from Utrecht to Arnhem and the German border. The issues around both Rotterdam and Utrecht were compounded by delays on the A4, A16, A20, A27 and A28. Drivers leaving Amsterdam could expect problems on the A1 and A4 as well.

The NS only reported a handful of issues, with the worst being a signal and swith failure between Almelo and Vroomshoop-Hardenberg. Emergency workers also caused a disruption to service between Amsterdam Centraal and Haarlem, and equipment issues caused delays between Alphen aan den Rijn and Gouda.

A Code Yellow weather warning for rain and flooding was in effect on Tuesday in Zuid-Holland and Zeeland, with more than 50mm of rain expected to fall in the 24-hour period. That warning should remain through Wednesday afternoon. The weather prediction model from website Buienradar showed large areas of drizzle expected to pass over the Netherlands late Tuesday afternoon and into the evening.

Heavy rain was likely to make its way from Zeeland across Noord-Brabant, and parts of Gelderland and Limburg. Additionally, more rain showers should spread from northern Noord-Holland across Flevoland, Friesland, and Groningen. “Only later will it become drier in the north and east. A lot of rain can fall in the southwest and west,” the meteorological office, KNMI, said Tuesday afternoon.

The 2022 morning rush hour record was set at 8:35 a.m., when 925 kilometers of traffic jams built up on the roads. “Due to the rain, several accidents and the traffic volume, Tuesday's morning rush was busy,” the ANWB said. The extended delays were exacerbated both by the rain, and an increased likelihood that people travel to their worksite on Tuesdays, a spokesperson told ANP.

The worst rush hour at any time in the Netherlands this year happened on 25 May, just before the long Ascension holiday weekend. Around 5:30 p.m., the ANWB registered roughly 1,120 kilometers of traffic jams as people raced out of the office.