MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st June, 2023) Dozens of flights have been either delayed or canceled at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol due to heavy thunderstorms, NL Times reported Tuesday, citing the airport authorities.
The rain showers came from the southwest and were moving through to the northeast of the Netherlands, the media reported. As of 7 p.m. local time (17:00 GMT), a total of 37 departures from Schiphol and 38 arriving flights were canceled as the storm approached the Amsterdam area. Media cited European air traffic service Eurocontrol as saying that many flights were regulated with "high delays" in Amsterdam. The airport's website also showed that many flights were arriving and departing with delays.
"We advise people to consult the Schiphol website for travel information," the media quoted a Schiphol spokesperson as saying.
The Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute has issued a Code Orange warning for dangerous or extreme weather that can have a major impact and a risk of damage, injury and significant nuisance in most of the Netherlands, the report said.
The roads were very congested on Tuesday when the storm hit the southwest of the Netherlands, partly also as a result of the closure of the Haringvliet bridge on the A29 motorway, the report said. A lane on the A20 motorway near Rotterdam was also closed due to water on the road, and several accidents slowed down the traffic even further. The media cited the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB) as saying that there were 954 kilometers (593 miles) of traffic jams - the sixth busiest rush hour this year in the Netherlands.
