After the snowiest conditions the Netherlands has seen in a decade, a bout of freezing rain triggered a code orange warning, turning the country (and a gritter truck) upside down.
With road closures, disruptions in public transport, cancelled classes, and Rijkswaterstaat’s call to stay home unless it’s absolutely necessary to leave, life in the Netherlands has come to a slippery halt.
A frosty start to the week
To start our Monday, the KNMI has extended the code orange warning for freezing rain in Groningen and Drenthe until 11 AM.
Meanwhile, the warning was downgraded to code yellow for North and South Holland, Utrecht, North Brabant, and Limburg.
Zeeland managed to escape with no alert at all.
Highways turn into hazard zones
Even though the Monday morning rush hour was quiet, AD reports a 100-kilometre traffic jam on Dutch roads this morning.
ANWB reports several highway closures due to slippery conditions and jackknifing trucks.
READ MORE | Why does snow cause the Netherlands to grind to a halt?
On the A59 near Den Bosch, even a gritting truck couldn’t handle the ice and overturned.
Elsewhere, cars slid into ditches on the A7 near Heerenveen and the N33 near Assen, with at least one driver taken to hospital.
As of 8:30 AM, the Rijkswaterstaat has reported no fewer than 30 accidents on the roads this morning.
Trains, buses, and reduced services
Public transport is faring slightly better this morning, though not without hiccups.
Fewer trains are running between Arnhem and Doetinchem, with peak-hour services cut in half.
Signal failures and rolling stock shortages caused delays around Amersfoort, while one bus line in Oldenzaal was suspended due to slippery roads, reports AD.
The good news? Conditions will improve
According to the NOS, the ice should disappear later today. Temperatures are expected to climb to between 3 and 8 degrees Celsius, with occasional rain.
The lows will also now remain above freezing.
To no one’s surprise, it will remain mostly grey and damp over the coming days.
Dig what you’re reading? Get more of it! Join our WhatsApp channel or Instagram broadcast to get the latest news straight to your pocket.
