Hospitals, public transport services and airlines in the Netherlands have all been hit by a worldwide computer problem affecting the cyber security company Crowdstrike.

The problem, which particularly affects Windows computers, has led Emmen’s Scheperziekenhuis hospital to cancel all operations, while flights at Schiphol airport have also been affected.

The airport is advising travellers to check with their airlines before coming to Schiphol, because the breakdown is making it impossible to process flights. “This is going to be a chaotic day,” a spokesman for holiday airline Transavia told broadcaster NOS.

Website allestoringen.nl which monitors disruption in the Netherlands has reports of hundreds of problems involving the UWV benefit office, bank KNAB and Microsoft, although it is unclear if they are all due to the Crowdstrike problem.

Direct debit payments are also being affected.

Public transport has been hit in Almere and in Utrecht, but not in Amsterdam, NOS said. The trains are not affected.

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