Storm Conall: Strong winds this afternoon; Over 30 flights already canceled at Schiphol

Storm Conall will hit the Netherlands later today, bringing strong winds into an already rainy day from late this afternoon. Airlines are taking precautions and have already started canceling flights to and from Schiphol Airport. The ANWB warns that the weather will make for a difficult evening rush hour.

The KNMI issued a code yellow strong winds warning for most of the country, starting in Zuid-Holland, Noord-Holland, and the IJseelmeergebied at 4:00 p.m., then spreading to Utrecht, Gelderland, Flevoland, Friesland, Overijssel, and the Waddenzee at 5:00 p.m., and Groningen and Drenthe at 6:00 p.m. The winds should die down during the course of the night, with the warning lifting last in Groningen and Drenthe around 2:00 a.m.

The KNMI warns of strong winds with gusts between 100 and 120 kilometers per hour. The wind will blow from the west-to-northwest. The storm could hinder traffic, the KNMI warned. “There is a risk of accidents caused by breaking tree branches and blown around objects like roof tiles and garden furniture,” the meteorological institute said.

The strong winds will also affect air traffic. A total of 24 flights scheduled to depart from Schiphol Airport on Wednesday afternoon were already canceled by 8:30 a.m. That includes 23 flights operated by KLM, all but one scheduled for a European destination.

Another 10 arriving flights were also scrapped. Again, KLM was responsible for nine of these, with Scandinavian Airlines pulling one departure and one arrival off the board for undisclosed reasons.

The other Dutch airports reported no significant delays or cancellations.