Strong winds, hail & thunder on the way; Schiphol cancels 250 flights, 150 more delayed

About 250 flights in and out of Schiphol Airport were cancelled on Thursday, and another 150 flights faced delays, with the expected difficulties caused by Storm Pia. The Netherlands is expected to face strong, sustained winds throughout the day with gusts reaching up to 110 kilometers per hour in coastal areas, and 80 km/h in inland regions.

The gusts could cause tree branches to break away, and objects like roof tiles and garden furniture could be sent flying through the air. A Code Yellow weather warning was in effect from 9 a.m. in Noord-Holland, Friesland, Groningen and the Wadden Island area, and then from 11 a.m. in Zuid-Holland, Flevoland, Drenthe, Zeeland and the region around the IJsselmeer. The rest of the country is under alert from 1 p.m.

The rain could be heavy in the morning, especially in the north and east. When the storm arrives in full force, wind, rain, hail and some thunder should be expected. “During the morning and afternoon there will be strong winds everywhere due to Storm Pia,” said meteorological service KNMI. “During the night into Friday, the heavy wind gusts will be increasingly limited to the coastal areas; the Wadden region remains at risk of this until Friday afternoon.”

The strong winds will leave only one runway in operation at Schiphol Airport for both take-offs and landings in the afternoon. So far, airlines operating at the second largest airport in the European Union have cancelled 134 departing flights throughout the day, and another 114 arrivals. An additional 103 inbound flights were also delayed, as were 38 morning departures.

Schiphol was already facing wind of over 70 kilometers per hour on Thursday morning, according to the KNMI. With more trouble on the way, arriving flights were being regulated, said European air traffic control system Eurocontrol. Delays are expected to be high, and increasing.

National passenger rail operator NS reported a track switch failure between Delft Campus and Schiedam Centraal affecting the route between the central stations in Rotterdam and The Hague. Far fewer trains were expected to run than the NS scheduled, at least through 1 p.m. Additionally, passengers were jamming up the trains in both directions between Schiphol Airport and Rotterdam Centraal as part of a detour. Those train cars will likely remain more crowded than normal through 1 p.m.

A defective train south of Bijlmer ArenA was also causing problems between Schiphol and Utrecht, and staff shortages led to the possibility of cancelled trains in the east between Hengelo and Bad Bentheim. An alternate bus service was in operation there.

Storm Pia, combined with people getting an early jump on the upcoming holidays, was also predicted to cause problems on the roads over the course of Thursday and Friday, but especially during rush hour periods. “Are you going on the road today? Then take into account dangerous driving conditions throughout the country due to heavy gusts of wind,” infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat wrote in a social media post.

Traffic was also starting to build up on the roadways, with the worst jams caused by a truck with several tires that blew out near Nieuwerbrug on the A12 in the eastbound lanes, according to travel association ANWB. “That is why one lane is closed past Bodegraven. From Moordrecht you will have a delay of 45 minutes,” said Rijkswaterstaat. “We expect to be ready at 8:45 a.m.”