Authorities warn of hazardous travel as storm Benjamin set to hit Western provinces
As Storm Benjamin makes its way towards the Dutch coast, those in the Netherlands are being warned that the weather event could impact those traveling on the roadways and the railroads. The meteorological office, KNMI, issued Code Orange and Code Yellow weather warnings starting late Thursday afternoon. The western provinces are likely to bear the brunt of the forceful winds, with gusts up to 120 kilometers per hour that could disrupt roads and travel.
Rijkswaterstaat, the national highway authority, urged motorists to exercise extra caution starting Thursday evening, especially drivers of empty trucks and larger vehicles such as caravans. All drivers are advised to maintain increased distances on the road. Planned roadworks on the A58 between knooppunt De Stok and knooppunt Zoomland have been postponed. Authorities are also considering deploying the Hollandsche IJsselkering flood barrier depending on the storm’s impact.
ProRail issued a cautionary statement, predicting the possibility of problems beginning Thursday afternoon. “The strong winds may cause disruption to the railways, especially in the west and center of the country,” the Dutch railroad management firm said. “ProRail and the carriers therefore advise passengers to monitor the weather forecast and journey planner, and to depart earlier, if necessary.”
Dutch rail operator NS said train schedules will remain unchanged unless a tree falls on the tracks. “If necessary, adjustments will be made tomorrow,” a spokesperson told AD.
Air travel is also expected to operate normally on Thursday. A KLM spokesperson said, “We do not expect any impact on our operations tomorrow (23 October), as the wind is forecast to pick up only later in the evening. We are closely monitoring the situation. For Friday (24 October), we anticipate that the weather may have a greater impact. As soon as there is more clarity, we will inform our passengers accordingly.”
When asked, a KLM spokesperson also told NL Times that passengers should monitor the airline’s website for information about delays and cancellations.
The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) upgraded alerts for Zeeland, Zuid-Holland, and Noord-Holland to code orange, warning of potential damage from flying debris and falling branches and noting that traffic could be affected by strong gusts.
Wind speeds in these provinces could reach 100 to 120 kilometers per hour. Inland and northern provinces, including Groningen, Drenthe, and Friesland, face gusts of 80 to 90 kilometers per hour, with code yellow in effect. The storm is expected to spread from the southwest across the country overnight, gradually subsiding on Friday, with the Wadden Islands last to be affected.
KNMI expects code orange in the western provinces to be downgraded to code yellow by Friday afternoon, with all alerts lifted by 1 p.m. across the Netherlands.
