The storm causing the strong winds, named storm Poly, has seen the Netherlands issue an orange weather alert for many northern regions. In the northwest, there is even a red alert in place at the time of writing.
According to meteorological institute of the Netherlands, gusts of wind are reaching speeds of 100 to 120 kilometers per hour. The weather service also warns of falling trees and flying objects as a result of the storm.
We adviseren vanwege #stormpoly om in de provincies Noord-Holland, Flevoland en Friesland NIET de weg op te gaan. Waarom zie je in het filmpje hieronder, vanaf de #A9 bij Uitgeest. Meer info: https://t.co/dXmrfEIZSz pic.twitter.com/I9Rl9AvpKk
— Rijkswaterstaat Verkeersinformatie (@RWSverkeersinfo) July 5, 2023
Due to the adverse weather conditions, traffic on some Dutch motorways has been severely affected. According to information provided by Rijkswaterstaat (the department responsible for roads among other things), parts of the A9 in the north of the country, as well as the A6 and A10, were impassable earlier this afternoon. Moreover, the ANWB, the Dutch equivalent of the AA, has warned about difficulties on the A22.
“Do not join roads in the provinces of North Holland, Flevoland and Friesland – especially not with an empty trailer or caravan. Be extra alert when you hit the road in the other provinces and take different driving conditions into account. More branches may end up on the road due to stormy weather. Vehicle traffic can brake suddenly,” warns Rijkswaterstaat on its live feed.
In addition to this, just after noon, the A7 towards Groningen was closed at Hoogkerk. A diversion was put in place to move traffic from Drachten to Groningen.
⛔️ | Door meerdere omgevallen bomen is de #A7 richting Groningen afgesloten bij Hoogkerk. Verkeer vanuit Drachten richting Groningen wordt omgeleid. pic.twitter.com/cXhxAXXA00
— Rijkswaterstaat Verkeersinformatie (@RWSverkeersinfo) July 5, 2023
It is expected that some of the difficulties caused by road closures will not be completely remedied by rush hour. For live updates, you can follow Rijkswaterstaat’s coverage here.