Thick fog causing dozens of flight delays at Schiphol, ground stop at Eindhoven Airport
Thick fog is reducing visibility throughout the Netherlands, resulting in a rising number of delayed and canceled flights at some Dutch airports and dangerous driving conditions on the roads. Schiphol reported nearly 200 delays and Eindhoven Airport halted all flight movements for the time being. The meteorological institute KNMI issued a code yellow warning for the entire country except the Wadden Islands.
Eurocontrol warned of “areas of low cloud, mist, and fog/freezing fog across North of Europe.” In Amsterdam, this means a warning to arriving pilots for low visibility causing high delays as inbound flights are being regulated by air traffic control. At 8:25 a.m., Schiphol Airport reported 28 canceled and 43 delayed departures and 25 canceled and 128 delayed arrivals.
All flight movements were on hold at Eindhoven Airport due to weather conditions, the European Air Traffic Control Center said. Arrivals, departures, and ground movements were expected to be halted from 6:30 a.m. through 11 a.m. because of low visibility.
“We are affected by fog. This may cause delays and/or cancellations,” Eindhoven Airport said on its website. The airport reported no cancelations, but eight arrivals and nine departures were delayed.
Rotterdam The Hague Airport reported no major delays.
According to the KNMI, the fog is reducing visibility to less than 200 meters in some places. The meteorological institute expects it to dissipate by late morning. Road users are urged to keep their lights on, drive slowly, and maintain a safe following distance.
The ANWB and Rijkswaterstaat also urged road users to be extra careful on Wednesday morning. The Rijkswaterstaat reported a multi-vehicle accident on the A4 near Zoeterwoude-Dorp, causing delays of up to 40 minutes for motorists heading toward Amsterdam. It is unclear whether the poor visibility had anything to do with the crash. At 8:20 a.m., the ANWB reported 69 traffic jams covering 336 kilometers of Dutch roads.
The KNMI expects to lift the fog warning by around 11:00 a.m. The rest of the day will be cloudy, with some light rain in the morning and mostly dry weather in the afternoon. Maximum temperatures will range between 3 degrees Celsius in the south of Limburg and 8 degrees in the west, with little wind.
