Schools and universities close early, fewer flights and trains as storm Eunice approaches

Storm Eunice, the fourth storm of this year, will pass over the Netherlands on Friday. Much of the country is expected to experience extreme winds. KLM has already canceled almost 170 flights due to the storm, and fewer trains are running in the morning. From 2:00 p.m., all train traffic will halt. Many schools and universities are closing early to give students a chance to get home. And many Covid-19 testing and vaccination locations are closed because of Eunice.

Schiphol reported 126 canceled departures and 124 canceled arrivals on its website. Two arrivals and two departures are canceled at Eindhoven Airport, and four each at Rotterdam The Hague Airport. So far, all flights at Groningen Airport Eelde and Maastricht Aachen Airport are arriving and departing as planned.

Travelers' association ANWB warned of dangerous driving conditions due to the storm. "It requires adapted driving behavior and alertness."

Many public transport companies will run regular timetables for buses, trams, and subways on Friday. However, no large vehicles will drive on Friday as a precaution, a spokesperson for the national trade association OV-NL said. That includes double-decker buses. Because the timetables for buses and trams are easier to adjust than for trains, the companies will examine whether an adjustment is needed during the course of Friday. Subways largely run underground so they will be less affected by the storm, according to the OV-NL spokesperson.

Rotterdam city transporter RET announced that their last journeys would run at 10:00 a.m., and their vehicles would be inside by noon. The Hague transporter HTM will stop running buses and trams at 2:00 p.m. Transport companies Connexxion and Arriva indicated that their buses will start on the usual timetable. OV-NL advises travelers to keep an eye on their carriers' websites throughout the day for current information.

Utrecht University, Leiden University, and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences indicated that they would not have in-person classes on Friday afternoon due to the storm. The educational institutions want to allow all students to get home before the trains stop running.

Health service GGD will keep many Covid-19 test and vaccination locations closed or close them early on Friday. The health service will contact people whose appointments are affected.

Meteorological institute KNMI issued a code orange warning for almost the entire country from 2:00 p.m. Powerful wind gusts of 100 to 120 kilometers per hour are expected over land, in the coastal areas, and on the northwest coast up to 130 kilometers per hour. "Possibly a little stronger on the Wadden." "This can cause significant damage and very dangerous situations due to falling trees and flying objects," according to the KNMI.

Storm Eunice follows storm Dudley, which caused a lot of nuisance and damage on Thursday. Code yellow was issued for Dudley. Eunice will be worse, warranting a code orange warning. "Be prepared. There is a high chance of dangerous or extreme weather with high impact, and there is a chance of damage, injury, and a lot of nuisance. This can be very local. Code orange can be issued 24 hours in advance if the chance of extreme weather is 60 percent or more," the KNMI said.

The storm may even trigger a code red weather warning. This happens when extreme weather has a significant impact on society and entails severe safety risks.