The KNMI weather bureau on Monday morning issued a code red weather warning for the north and west of the country, ahead of a severe storm.

Winds of up to 130 kph are expected to batter northern coastal areas later on Monday morning and will still be up to 100 kph inland, the KNMI said.

Schiphol airport is advising people to check with their airline to see if flights are affected and some disruption is expected on Monday, particularly to other northern European destinations.

Schiphol

Airline KLM has already cancelled flights in preparation. A spokesman told Nos television the storm will have a serious impact on landing and take-off capacity. It is not clear how many flights have been affected but passengers have been informed.

Dutch railway company NS is reducing capacity on Monday. It expects services to be disrupted by debris on the tracks. By running fewer trains, NS hopes to avoid the railways grinding to a halt. Ferry services to some Wadden Islands have also been cancelled.

The ANWB motoring organisation said Monday’s rush hour is busier than normal with long delays because of the volume of traffic. Cyclists are being recommended to leave their bikes at home.