Will it be twins, triplets or even quadruplets? In any case, it promises to be stormy days until next Tuesday. After Thursday’s storm Dudley – with wind gusts up to 100 k/m per hour – today it is the turn of twin sister ‘Eunice’. A storm that, especially in the afternoon and evening, can reach a wind force of no less than 130 km per hour on the west coast and 140 in the Wadden area, according to Jaco van Wezel, meteorologist at Weeronline.
A violent one, which can be compared with the storm of October 28, 2013, which caused two deaths and a lot of damage in the Netherlands. But less so with storm Corrie at the end of last month, which was relatively not too bad with wind speeds of up to 110 km per hour. Storms like Eunice are therefore quite rare, says Peter Siegmund, climate expert at the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI). “But once every few years you have a storm like this.”
The fact that we now have so many storms in a few days has to do with a fairly strong “polar vortex,” explains Siegmund. That is air in the stratosphere above the poles that is much colder than the air at our latitude. “By a strong westerly wind, that air then ensures that a number of storms are brought to us.”
These storms, on the other hand, have nothing to do with climate change, says Siegmund. “There is no discernible trend in the climate models. The measurements even show that the wind strength is decreasing slightly in the Netherlands, due to increasing construction. We also see no changes in the average wind strength over the North Sea.”
The KNMI has meanwhile announced code orange, synonymous with ‘be prepared’. According to Van Wezel, there is a “life-size” chance that this will change to code red in the course of the day. The same criteria apply for code red as for code orange, but the impact of the storm on traffic, for example, is also relevant.
Trees on the track
Van Wezel takes into account quite a few trees that will die, storm damage to buildings, and a lot of nuisance in all forms of traffic. That is why he calls on people not to go out on the road after 16:00 unless there is no other option. “Empty trucks and trailers can blow over, trees can end up on the tracks, the ferry services can suffer from high water and planes will take off and land cause difficulties,” Van Wezel sums up. The NS therefore announced on Thursday that no trains will run after 2 p.m. on Friday, and calls on travelers not to travel if possible. The ferry services to the Wadden Islands are also adjusting their timetable. And Schiphol calls on travelers to keep an eye on the latest information about the flights.
Also read: Trains will not run after 2 p.m. tomorrow, less ferry services too
Coast Guard tugs have been put on standby in case another ship gets into trouble, just like during Storm Corrie. For example, tug De Guardian is positioned in Petten, North Holland, because of its central location in the coastal area. After all, the storm can cause problems anywhere on the coast. Although the emphasis is on the northwest, says Van Wezel.
Further inland, wind forces of 120 km per hour are expected. In Limburg ‘only’ wind gusts of 100 km per hour. “Although there is a margin of uncertainty in that,” says Van Wezel.
It is therefore difficult for storm chaser Philippe Schambergen to determine where he is traveling today. “We are still waiting for the latest weather models to arrive. Only then will we make our final choice.” During storm Corrie he was on the coast. He is certainly considering going inland this time. “They are used to it on the coast, but seriously strong gusts of wind are also expected inland. Very interesting to see what that will yield.”
It is a special time, says Schambergen, with a view to the storms that can also come on Saturday and Monday. “It makes our hearts beat faster; a relief after the dull weather in January.”
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