Storm Eunice among top three worst storms in 50 years; All weather warnings withdrawn

Storm Eunice ranks as one of the top three worst storms recorded since 1970, according to the Dutch meteorological office, KNMI. The storm barreled across the Netherlands on Friday and Saturday, triggering the most severe Code Red weather warning for five provinces, and Code Orange for six others.

The KNMI finally waved off its last remaining weather warning late on Monday afternoon, after six days of heavy gusts and stormy weather. Gusts were still likely to be strong at the coast through Tuesday.

Storm Eunice was particularly remarkable for its inland winds. The highest recorded wind gusts did not occur on the North Sea coast, as was expected. A wind speed of 145 kilometers per hour was recorded at the KNMI weather station in Cabauw, near Lopik, Utrecht. The wind speed set a record for the harshest inland wind to have been measured in the Netherlands.

Eunice was what’s known as a “protracted storm,” meaning that it lasted an unusually long time. The stronger winds were present between for an 11-hour period starting at 3 p.m. on Friday, and finally ending in the early morning hours on Saturday. Four people lost their lives due to falling trees during the storm, others were injured, and a man was rescued by a bystander in the IJ river in Amsterdam.

Three different storms pummeled the Netherlands over a four-day period, with windy weather preceding and following the storm’s arrivals. According to an estimate by the Dutch Association of Insurers, the private property damage from Dudley, Eunice and Franklin amounts to at least 500 million euros in total.

Since 1970, the KNMI has determined storm strength by number. The number signals the strength of wind gusts during a storm, averaged over the Netherlands. Only two storms have been stronger than Eunice, one on January 25, 1990, and another on January 3, 1976.

Furthermore, it was the first time in nearly a hundred years that a trio of storms struck in such a short timespan. “Twin storms” are more common.

On Monday, the remaining Code Yellow weather warning expired over the course of the afternoon in many parts of the east of the Netherlands, as well as the Wadden Islands area. By 4:45 p.m. the whole country was back at the Code Green level, indicating no serious cause for concern.

This week the wind will die down and the high temperatures will hold between 9 and 11 degrees Celsius. Overnight temperatures are likely to be around 2 degrees most nights, but could peak at 5 degrees midweek, while dipping to -1 over the weekend.

The KNMI predicted dry weather and a higher chance of sunshine on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Partly cloudy days with showers were more likely the rest of the week.