A powerful summer storm, an uncommon occurrence in the Netherlands, swept through the country on Wednesday, bringing winds of up to 146 kilometres (90 miles) per hour. The storm resulted in at least one fatality, with authorities advising people to stay indoors and severely impacting travel across the nation.
Tragically, a 51-year-old woman in Haarlem lost her life when a tree fell onto the car she was in, as reported by local police. In Amsterdam, several individuals sustained injuries as numerous trees toppled, damaging cars and houseboats along the city’s canals.
The National Meteorology Institute issued a code red storm warning, the highest level, to residents of the Noord-Holland province, including Amsterdam. They urged people to remain at home and instructed them to use emergency service numbers only in life-threatening situations.
Named Poly, this storm is the most severe experienced in the Netherlands during the summer months and the strongest overall since January 2018, according to the weather agency Weeronline. Typically, heavy storms in the country occur between October and April, making a summer storm a rare occurrence. The last significant summer storm took place in 2015, the first in over a century.
The extensive damage caused by the storm can be attributed to the trees being laden with leaves, which, combined with their increased brittleness resulting from an unusually long dry spell in May and June, made them more susceptible to toppling.
Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, one of Europe’s busiest hubs, had to cancel over 400 flights, while traffic was limited until approximately 4 p.m. local time (1400 GMT). A highway north of Amsterdam was closed due to falling trees, and public transportation, including tram and bus services, faced substantial disruptions in Amsterdam.
Train operators NS and Arriva initially suspended all services in the northern part of the country, but a small portion of regional train traffic was able to resume later in the afternoon.
As expected, the storm moved eastward, becoming less intense as the afternoon progressed.
