Forget a white Christmas, the Netherlands has had a very wet Christmas, with flooding in many areas across the country — and we haven’t seen the worst of it yet.
The current holiday season in the Netherlands has not seen snow but instead copious amounts of rain.
Combine this with the fact that the Alps are unusually warm for this time of year, and the Netherlands’ rivers and dikes are not coping well.
This is not only putting a damper on holiday spirits, it’s also causing flooding in areas such as Overijssel, Gelderland, Drenthe, Brabant, and Limburg, the NOS reports.
Het water van de IJssel staat hoog. pic.twitter.com/u1awmqpNQ8— De Kruif (@Nkruif) December 25, 2023
Translation: The water levels in the Ijssel are high.
Water levels expected to rise further
While the wet weather is expected to ease up slightly today, the Netherlands is bracing for the worst of the flooding.
READ MORE | Why does it rain so much in the Netherlands?
Meteorologist Leander de Wit of Buienradar explains to RTL Nieuws that:
“It is quite warm in the Alps. This causes a lot of melting snow. As a result, the water level in the Rhine will rise in the coming days, and is expected to peak on December 28.”
This won’t be helped by even more rain, which is forecast for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Aangenaam weer: hoge water in de IJssel trekt veel bekijks vandaag in de Hoenwaard bij Hattem. pic.twitter.com/P0JzAyeJUG— Wim Eikelboom (@boomeik) December 25, 2023
Translation: Pleasant weather: high water in the IJssel attracts a lot of attention today in the Hoenwaard near Hattem.
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