Photos: Netherlands hit by first snowstorm in a decade

Storm Darcy has disrupted planes and trains and put COVID-19 testing on hold

Last updated: February 08, 2021 | 07:54

AFP and Compiled by Christian Borbon, Senior Web Editor

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The Hague: The Netherlands was blanketed on Sunday by a snowstorm that disrupted planes and trains and put some coronavirus testing on hold.

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People rushed outdoors to enjoy sledging and playing in the snow in Dutch cities despite the bitterly cold conditions with temperatures as low as minus 5 degrees Celsius (23 Fahrenheit).

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A person walk a dog after heavy snowfall in Amsterdam.

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People slide down a hill with sledges after heavy snowfall at the Museumplein in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

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But Dutch authorities declared a rare "code red" emergency for the entire country as it was hit by its first proper snowstorm in more than a decade.

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Weather forecasting website Weer.nl said that overnight a force-eight wind was measured in combination with snowfall, adding: "This officially means a snowstorm in our country".

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"It is the first snowstorm in a long time: the last snowstorm took place in January 2010," it said.

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All trains were cancelled in the Netherlands, including international services to Germany. Trams were halted in Amsterdam, while a tram derailed in the snow in The Hague, an AFP reporter saw.

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Motorists were advised to avoid travelling and more than 80 cars were reported to have skidded off the road.

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Most parts of the country had between five and 10 centimetres (two and four inches) of snow but some areas received 30 centimetres, public broadcaster NOS said.

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The conditions were so severe that the Dutch government had closed all coronavirus testing centres for several days.

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