Storm warning issued ahead of Dutch Grand Prix; Zandvoort ready for F1 race weekend
The KNMI issued a code yellow thunderstorm warning for the entire Netherlands on Thursday as Zandvoort started getting ready for the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend. NS will run extra trains to and from the coastal town all weekend.
Thunderstorms entered the Netherlands from the southwest early in the afternoon and started moving northeast across the country. Lighting and thunder started in Amsterdam around 1:45 p.m.
“Locally, showers can be heavy with a chance of strong winds, hail, and a lot of precipitation in a short time,” the meteorological institute KNMI said. The storms should pull out of the country to the northeast in the early evening.
Friday and the weekend will be a mix of rain and occasional sunshine, with Saturday being the driest day. Maximums will climb to around 23 degrees.
The access roads to Zandvoort closed to motorized traffic at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday. Until the Formula 1 weekend is done, only emergency services, residents, and local businesses will be allowed to drive into the village. Spectators are urged to cycle or take public transport to the event. The special campsite for Formula 1 fans is opening today.
NS will run a train between Amsterdam Central Station and Zandvoort every five minutes during the Formula 1 weekend. The rail company expects to transport 50,000 people to Zandvoort and back per day of the event and can accommodate up to 10,000 passengers per hour.
The rail company deployed 300 additional staff members to help manage the flow of people and installed extra check-in and check-out stations. The level crossings between Halfweg and Zandvoort are closed over the weekend to prevent any accidents.
The Dutch Grand Prix is happening from August 29 to 31 this year. It is the fifth consecutive year that the Formula 1 race has been held in the Netherlands. It will also be the second-to-last one. The contract between the Formula One Management and the Zandvoort circuit will not be renewed after it ends in 2026, the organizers of the Dutch Grand Prix announced last year.
