First storm of the year predicted to hit the Netherlands tonight; Gusts up to 110 km/h

The first storm of the year is expected to strike the Netherlands on Tuesday night with wind speeds reaching 110 kilometers per hour. Storm Henk was expected to first pummel most of England and Wales with strong wind and rainfall late on Tuesday afternoon, before crossing the North Sea and hitting the Netherlands.

"Tonight and during the overnight into Wednesday, there will be heavy wind gusts of 80-90 km/h in the southeast and 100-110 km/h in the northwest and northern coastal areas," said Dutch meteorological service KNMI. The organization issued a Code Yellow Weather Warning for the gusty weather in effect until 4 a.m. on Wednesday.

"The gusts of wind will come from a south-westerly direction," the KNMI stated. "Traffic and outdoor activities may be affected by this. The wind gusts will decrease again on Wednesday morning."

The weather alert takes effect from 8 p.m. in Noord-Holland, Zuid-Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Flevoland and Friesland. The strongest winds can reach the Wadden Islands, the IJsselmeer region, Groningen, Drenthe and Gelderland by 10 p.m.

"You may encounter very strong gusts of wind along the way. Therefore, be extra alert when you go out and adapt your driving style to the circumstances," said Dutch infrastructure agency Rijkswaterstaat.

Road users were advised to maintain additional distance between vehicles, and to watch out for debris blowing onto the road. Likewise, drivers avoiding debris can drive in an undpredictable manner. "Vehicles with (empty) trailers, trucks without loads, caravans and motorcyclists are especially vulnerable to strong winds. It may be wise to postpone the trip."

There were no major delays reported at Schiphol Airport, but airlines there cancelled 32 flights over the course of Tuesday's operations schedule. The cancellations were split evenly between departures and arrivals.

Some delays were expected on Tuesday morning due to air traffic control capacity, according to European air traffic control center Eurocontrol.