Authorities in the Netherlands called on people to stay indoors, as heavy winds disrupted air and rail traffic across the country on Wednesday morning.
The national meteorology institute gave a code red for a large part of the country and nearly 300 flights were canceled at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, one of Europe’s busiest hubs.
A storm with speeds up to 120 kilometers per hour blanketed the Netherlands on Tuesday curbing flights at Schiphol international airport. The situation was described as “dangerous … due to branches on the road, strong gusts of wind, and heavy rain.”
Air traffic would be “very limited” between 9 am and 4 pm (0700-1400 GMT), the airport said. Some arriving and departing flights have been canceled or delayed.
The storm also resulted in massive traffic jams and reports of trucks being blown over on the motorways. Moreover, train operator NS halted all train traffic in the north of the Netherlands.