Poly: One dead in storm in the Netherlands

A woman died in a violent storm in the Netherlands. The 51-year-old died in Haarlem when a tree fell on a car. There are also massive restrictions on public life.

In the northern half of the country hit by storm “Poly”, rail traffic was suspended, some motorways were closed, some schools and parks were closed, and in some cities the buses remained in the depots. In many cases, the fire brigade had to move out because of fallen trees, reported the public broadcaster NOS.

Air and rail traffic severely restricted

There were extensive cancellations at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Only limited air traffic is possible between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., the airport said. Delays and cancellations are to be expected. At least 400 flights were canceled.

Travelers also have to be prepared for delays and train cancellations in rail traffic. In the provinces of North Holland and Flevoland, traffic was stopped completely from 8.30 a.m., as the Dutch railways announced on their website. This must also be expected in other parts of the country. The railway advised passengers to postpone their journey if possible.

Warning for driving on the highway

The storm hit the Dutch coast in the morning with wind speeds of up to 120 kilometers per hour. The weather institute KNM issued a red category warning for the provinces of North Holland, Flevoland, Friesland and the IJsselmeer area – the highest possible warning level. There were warnings about falling trees and flying objects. The traffic authorities also warned against driving on the motorways, where there have already been reports of trucks being blown over and trees falling in the lanes.

The residents of the province of North Holland received a warning in the morning. Because of “extreme weather”, the authorities called not to leave the houses and only to call the emergency services in “life-threatening situations”. The province also includes the capital Amsterdam.

“Poly” brings hurricanes and heavy rain

The German weather service warns of hurricane gusts and thunderstorms from the storm “Poly” in the north, especially into the night. In Lower Saxony, a pedestrian was killed by a fallen tree.

Storm low “Poly” moves over parts of Germany. Northern Germany in particular has to prepare for a storm that is unusually strong for the summer.

According to the forecast of the German Weather Service (DWD), “Poly” should move from the southwestern North Sea to Denmark. It should be stormy, especially in the northwest half of Germany, in Schleswig-Holstein the weather experts even expect a temporarily severe storm situation.

According to the DWD, there has been a risk of severe weather in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein since the early afternoon, combined with hurricane-like gusts or real hurricane gusts. “Poly” could bring isolated thunderstorms and heavy rain.

A fatality in Lower Saxony

For Lower Saxony, the DWD warns of storms with wind speeds of up to 130 kilometers per hour on the coast and from Emsland via Bremen to the Elbe. In Rhede in Emsland, a pedestrian was fatally injured by a fallen tree. According to police, the 64-year-old succumbed to her injuries on the spot.

Storm depression should subside during the night

According to the DWD, gusts of wind can also be expected in the middle of Germany to the eastern half. There could also be isolated thunderstorms in the south and southeast. Locally, heavy rain or hail could also occur there.

On the Baltic Sea, the storm gusts are expected to continue into the night, but then subside. The thunderstorms are also expected to weaken to showers and subside by Thursday.

In the morning “Poly” had already reached the Dutch coast. The highest warning level applies in large parts of the country. In Haarlem, a 51-year-old woman died when a tree fell on her car. In the northern half of the country, rail and bus services were suspended, some highways were closed, and some schools and parks were closed.

The fire brigade is preparing for more operations

There is still not much evidence of the restrictions caused by the storm in the north. When asked by ARD, neither Deutsche Bahn nor Hamburg Airport reported any operational disruptions. In the district of North Friesland in Schleswig-Holstein, there were failures in the ferry schedule, as reported by the NDR. The Cassen Eils shipping company canceled all trips from Cuxhaven to Heligoland and back because of the weather.

The fire brigade associations in the northernmost state are preparing for an increased number of operations and called on the population to avoid areas with a rich tree population such as parks or forests, the NDR said. The Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel announced on its website that it would stop “service, teaching and examination operations in the so-called Anger buildings” from 2 p.m. until the evening.

The Ostfriesland fire brigade association in Lower Saxony also warned that staying outdoors could become a great danger. Participants in road traffic should be more vigilant than usual because uprooted and fallen trees and falling branches could endanger road traffic. The DWD also appealed to residents in the northern federal states to avoid unnecessary car journeys.

Lessons are canceled, funeral services canceled

In Lower Saxony, classes were canceled in some schools due to the storm warning. In Delmenhorst, lessons from 10 a.m. were canceled at all general and vocational schools, the traffic management center announced. The same applied to the general and vocational schools, which belong to the sponsorship of the city of Oldenburg.

The first safety precautions were also taken in Hamburg: the Ohlsdorf, Öjendorf, Volksdorf and Wohldorf cemeteries are to be closed from 12 noon. Funeral services must be canceled according to the responsible cemetery administration.