Four people have been injured in Barendrecht after a whirlwind ripped through a residential area, damaging roofs and tearing up garden sheds in four streets. One person was taken to hospital for treatment, broadcaster NOS reported.

In other parts of the country, trees have been brought down, causing traffic jams and there are no trains between Utrecht and Soest, and Utrecht and Amersfoort because of fallen trees on the track. Buses will replace trains for the duration.

There were also no high speed trains between Rotterdam and Breda for a time.

The KNMI weather bureau has issued a code yellow storm warning for all of the Netherlands on Thursday morning, saying winds of up to 90 kph may batter coastal regions. Strong winds and heavy rain will also hit the south of the country, the KNMI said.

The winds will die down later in the day.