Schiphol airport is warning that hundreds of flights are likely to be cancelled or delayed on Saturday because of the wintry weather.

The airport has urged passengers to check their flight status before travelling to the airport, stressing that delays and cancellations could change at short notice. “The situation is still developing,” a spokeswoman told broadcaster NOS on Friday evening..

Snow showers and strong winds already caused widespread disruption on Friday and the wintry weather is expected to continue over the weekend. Overnight temperatures will hover around freezing, allowing snow to settle and increasing the risk of icy roads.

The disruption at Schiphol is being compounded by operational restrictions and the strong westerly winds mean only two runways can be used instead of the usual three.

As a result, around 20 aircraft can land and 20 depart per hour, compared with up to 60 during peak periods under normal conditions.

Flights to and from Eindhoven and Rotterdam airports are not currently affected by the weather.

The KNMI weather bureau has issued a code yellow weather warning for the entire country for the weekend because of the forecast snow and hail.