Floods hit the north as 60mm of rain falls in a few hours

Flash flooding across northern provinces left streets underwater at the weekend as up to a month’s worth of rain fell in a few hours.

The water authority for Hunze and Aa, on the border of Drenthe and Groningen, reported 60mm in some places on Sunday evening. The fire service received dozens of calls to help with flooded homes in towns and villages including Rolde, Eext and Oude Pekela.

The meteorological service KNMI issued a code yellow warning on Sunday for heavy rain in Gelderland, Flevoland, Overijssel, Friesland, Drenthe, Groningen and the Wadden Islands, but Drenthe and Groningen appear to have borne the brunt.

Traffic on the N33 between Assen and Delfzijl slowed to a crawl and some motorists stopped by the roadside as heavy showers severely hindered visibility.

The roof of a garage in Assen collapsed under the weight of water, while the deluge also threatened the planned reopening of the town’s railway station when one of the platforms started to subside.

ProRail spokeswoman Mercedes Grootscholten told RTV Drenthe that the sand beneath the platform may have shifted under the weight of water. ‘It was touch and go, but thanks to some hard work the opening can go ahead as planned.’

 

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