Amsterdam Schiphol airport grounded all flights on Monday morning after heavy snowfall put its runways out of action.

Airport authorities said all departures and arrivals had been cancelled or postponed until 1pm. “Flights that are en route will be escorted to other airports,” a spokesman told NH Nieuws. Most of the diverted services are expected to land in Düsseldorf.

A code orange warning was issued on Monday morning by the meteorological agency KNMI for all provinces apart from Noord-Brabant and Limburg, where code yellow is in force, as the snowfall intensified during the morning.

Long tailbacks

The wintry conditions led to long tailbacks and collisions at the start of the first full working week of the year, with highways agency Rijkswaterstaat reporting the third most congested morning rush-hour ever with up to 688km of queues.

All trains to and from Amsterdam were cancelled, including services to Schiphol airport, train operator NS said. Trains were also cancelled between Utrecht and Leiden, and on some routes to Zwolle and Leeuwarden.

Motorists were advised to avoid the roads if possible in the western provinces and Friesland. Rijkswaterstaat said snowploughs and gritters were becoming stuck in heavy traffic.

The A32 motorway in Friesland was closed in both directions between Akkrum and Grou after the road became impassable. Several other access roads have been closed because the ramps are too slippery.

Regional bus operator Keolis said all services in Utrecht and Friesland had been cancelled until midday. “Buses can stay on the road no problem, but it is difficult to merge in traffic or pull up at bus stops,” a spokesman said.

The driving standards agency CBR said it had cancelled more than 600 motorcycle and scooter exams on Monday because of the weather, but other practical tests and theory exams will go ahead.

“The measure has been taken because of the expected snow forecasts in combination with the vulnerability of motorcycles and scooters on icy roads,” the agency said in a statement.