Video: Many northern roads closed over snow, strong wind; Homeless shelters overcrowded

Several provincial roads in the north of the Netherlands were closed by the end of Friday afternoon due to persistent snow and strong winds. Road conditions in the province of Groningen have been deteriorating, especially in rural areas, the regional emergency services office stated. Meanwhile, many homeless shelters in the northern provinces were overcrowded, largely due to the cold.

The provincial road between Grijpskerk and Zoutkamp, ​​the N388, was closed due to dangerous conditions. The N33 was also closed in both directions between the Zuidbroek interchange and Appingedam due to snow drifts. The same was said for a stretch of the N355 between Buitenpost and Groningen, and the N46.

Both Groningen and Friesland were under a Code Orange weather warning for snow and icy conditions, which was not due to expire until 9 p.m. on Friday. The Wadden Islands were also under the same alert. Infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat warned motorists to be acutely aware of dangerous conditions on the roads, and to adjust their driving style.

The rest of the Netherlands is under a Code Yellow warning, which will likely extend into Sunday. But the milder alert level does not mean people can act without a degree of caution. There were delays due to several emergency road repairs all over parts of the country that are further south.

Freezing conditions have caused cracks and potholes in the road surface in several places in recent days, such as the N261 between Tilburg and Waalwijk, where one lane was closed in both directions. This was expected to last until after the weekend.

On the A58 near Tilburg-Reeshof, drivers heading towards Tilburg were temporarily forced to use the hard shoulder while potholes were filled. Several exits were also temporarily closed on the A2 due to poor road conditions.

The increasing snow, stronger winds, and colder temperatures have led to more crowding at homeless shelters in the northern provincies. In the cities, aid workers said they were especially concerned about the threat the elements pose to people who do not have legal residency.

Forty people slept in the night shelter in Leeuwarden during the overnight hours from Thursday into Friday. This is the normal maximum capacity for the shelter, but if necessary, it can be expanded to include a dozen more beds at the same location. They also have capacity to set up six more beds elsewhere in the city.

A spokesperson said the overcrowding has not yet caused any problems, adding that everyone who came forward saying they want a bed has not been turned away. The shelters in the other Frisian municipalities have also not had to force anyone to sleep outdoors involuntarily, the spokesperson said.

In Assen, 25 people slept in the homeless shelter compared to the usual 15. The Salvation Army was making additional rounds "to see if they can spot people who should not be sleeping outside in this weather," said a spokesperson for the municipality of Assen on Friday.

In Groningen, there is room for 70 people in the shelter. Of those, 49 were in use during the previous overnight, a spokesperson indicated on Friday.

Earlier this week, the major cities in the Randstad region already reported that their homeless shelters were also crowded.