More storms today & tomorrow after lighting strikes cause problems on railway

Lightning strikes caused problems on the railway in several places last night. The meteorological institute KNMI expects more thunderstorms, possibly accompanied by downpours and hail, on Monday and Tuesday.

In Emmen, lightning struck a tree next to the railway, causing an “unsafe situation,” ProRail said. For some time, train traffic was not possible between Emmen and Nieuw-Amsterdam. In Limburg, a lightning strike caused a level crossing failure, halting train traffic between Sittard and Roermond.

On Monday morning, NS reported only one train traffic disruption. No trains are running between Maastricht Randwyck and Visé due to flooding. The rail company deployed buses between Maastricht, Maastricht Randwyck, Eijsden, and Visé. Travelers can expect travel time to be up to an hour longer than usual. NS expects this issue to last until at least Thursday.

Thunderstorms spread across the east and south of the Netherlands on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, the north and west can expect the same treatment, followed by storms in the center and east on Tuesday, according to the KNMI, which issued a code yellow warning.

Monday will start out cloudy, but the sun will regularly show its face in the afternoon. There will be thunderstorms in the north and west this afternoon. Maximums will climb to around 21 degrees, with a weak to moderate wind from the north.

The KNMI issued a code yellow warning for Zuid-Holland, Noord-Holland, the IJsselmeer area, Flevoland, Friesland, Groningen, and Drenthe on Monday. Thunderstorms may be accompanied by downpours and hail stones up to 1 centimeter in diameter. “Lots of rain in a short period could cause flooding,” the meteorological institute warned. The warning is in effect from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Tuesday will be sunny in the morning and most of the afternoon. Cloud cover will increase in the south during the afternoon, eventually turning to showers and thunderstorms, possibly with hail up to 2 cm and strong winds. Maximums will climb to around 25 degrees.

The meteorological institute issued a code yellow warning for Zuid-Holland, Utrecht, Gelderland, Noord-Brabant, and Limburg for Tuesday. The warning first takes effect in Limburg at 3:00 p.m., followed by Noord-Brabant at 5:00 p.m., and the other provinces at 6:00 p.m. The KNMI expects the worst to be over by midnight.