It looks like the Dutch weather has decided to give us storms instead of snow this winter – something we are not happy about. According to the weather forecast, on Sunday, February 9, the first storm since August 2019 will plough its way through the Netherlands, with the gusts of wind especially leaving destruction in their path.

Prepare yourself for the storm

The British and German media are called it a “monster storm” and people are advised to secure their garden ornaments, lawn chairs etc., shut their windows and stay indoors if possible. The storm, at wind force 9, will bluster in from the northwest of the country, bringing with it gusts of wind reaching 120 km/h on the coast. The storm is expected to hit around midday.

Ciara (known as storm Sabine in Germany) could even become a severe storm, meaning the average wind speed over 10 minutes is at least 90km/h, wind force 10. There is also a chance of extremely violent gusts of wind reaching around 130km/h. After hitting the coast, Ciara will travel inland.

In the south, middle and east of the country, gusts of wind at speeds of 75km - 100km/h are expected. On the Wadden Islands, large parts of North-Holland and Friesland, in the west of Zeeland and South Holland and the northwestern part of Groningen, extremely strong gusts of wind at 100km to 120km/h are possible.

Extreme winds

The gusts of wind are especially worrying, as these can lead to dangerous situations on the roads. It is quite possible that the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) will issue a code orange, indicating dangerous or extreme weather. They’ll only do this 24 hours in advance, at the earliest.

At the moment, the trees don’t have any leaves, which is lucky, as this will likely lessen the damage done by the storm. It is still possible, however, that trees may topple, branches may break and planes may have trouble taking off or landing. If trees break and fall onto the train tracks, we can expect delays or train cancellations – so be ready for the aftermath of Ciara.

The forecast doesn’t look much better for Sunday night, as although average wind speeds will decrease slightly, heavy rain showers, thunderstorms and extreme gusts of wind are expected. These gusts could reach 100km/h inland and possibly 120km - 130km/h locally.

Next week doesn’t look good

Monday and Tuesday next week (February 10 & 11) don’t look good. The weather continues to be turbulent on Monday, with showers and heavy gusts of wind around 85km/h. Tuesday doesn’t look any better than Monday - in fact, it could even be worse.

The weather will continue to be turbulent with gusts reaching 80km/h, but the main difference with Monday is that significantly colder air will flow over the country. You can expect heavy winter showers during which the temperature drops to freezing point - brrr! If you are cycling or driving during these days, be careful out there!