Recording the first death due to a rare summer storm

Dutch media reported, on Wednesday, the first death due to a rare summer storm.

An international airport in Amsterdam canceled or delayed hundreds of flights, and the railways suspended all trains in the north of the Netherlands on Wednesday morning, as a summer storm hit the country.

The National Institute of Meteorology declared a red alert in 3 provinces as Tropical Storm Paulie battered the country with heavy rains and strong winds.

The institute said one storm on the west coast of Amsterdam recorded speeds of just over 145 kilometers per hour.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, while Dutch media showed images of uprooted trees and “at least one truck overturned in Amsterdam, The Hague and Haarlem as the storm hit during the normally busy morning rush hour.”

And emergency services in the province of North Holland, which includes the capital, Amsterdam, sent out a warning via mobile phones, urging people to stay indoors until the storm passed. Traffic authorities also advised motorists to avoid driving if possible.

Schiphol Airport, one of the busiest in Europe, announced on its website that it expects “very limited air traffic” in the afternoon, which will lead to cancellations and delays for incoming and outgoing flights.

The storm is expected to pass through the Netherlands later Wednesday, on its way to Denmark and Germany.