Big festivals brace themselves for storms; Sunday code orange for part of the Netherlands | Interior

UPDATEThe KNMI issues code orange for Sunday afternoon and evening due to thunderstorms, wind gusts and hailstones up to four centimeters in size. The warning applies to the south and east of the Netherlands and can have a major impact on the festivals that are planned. The organizations of Bospop and Awakenings will decide on Sunday morning whether the festivals can continue.


Interior editorial


Latest update:
03:32

The organization of blues rock festival Bospop in Weert in Limburg called on camping guests on Saturday to secure their tents properly and to take down any party tents. This is due to the expected storm on Sunday. The board of the festival also asks visitors to bring unnecessary items to their car and to clear away all loose items.

The many thousands of visitors to this 41st edition of Bospop are asked to keep a close eye on the festival’s social media. All new information is shared on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, among others, according to the organization. “We have been informed about possible heavy gusts of wind in Weert on Sunday, July 9 from 4 p.m. Bospop is closely following developments.”

The Limburg-Noord Safety Region keeps an overview together with board members of Bospop and the mayor of Weert, among others. On Sunday morning, it will be considered whether Bospop should be ended early on Sunday.

Code yellow also applied for Saturday evening due to thunderstorms. It was measured in Eindhoven with 34.3 degrees, the warmest July 8 ever. A southeasterly wind brought the very warm air from France to our country. In De Bilt it became 31.9 degrees, which was also a national record.

Storm

Temperatures will also rise sharply on Sunday, with strong thunderstorms later in the day, where hailstones can fall with a diameter of 2 to 4 centimeters. According to the KNMI, strong wind gusts of 75 to 100 kilometers per hour can also occur. According to the KNMI, it is still uncertain where exactly the heaviest showers will fall.

In addition to large hailstones, the KNMI also warns against lightning strikes, falling trees and flying objects. Local flooding can also occur because a lot of precipitation may fall in a short period of time, according to the institute. The showers are expected to move away through the northeast on Sunday evening.

Shows Suzan & Freek cancelled

Due to the turbulent weather forecast, several performances in Nijmegen by the singing duo Suzan & Freek were canceled in advance on Sunday. The evening and afternoon show will be moved to Saturday September 16 of this year. Tickets remain valid and starting times remain the same, refund is also possible.

Hilvarenbeek in Brabant is the last day of the techno festival Awakenings. Code orange also applies there on Sunday afternoon. In Kraggenburg, near Emmeloord in the north of Flevoland, the Wildeburg festival celebrates its third and final day. The organization reports on its website and social media that it is closely monitoring the situation regarding the expected storm. The festival organization expects to come up with an update on Sunday morning at 07:00.

What is code orange?

The KNMI has four color codes: green, yellow, orange and red. Code orange means: be prepared. There is a great chance of dangerous or extreme weather with a major impact and a risk of damage, injury or a lot of nuisance. This could be local. Code orange can be issued 24 hours in advance if the chance of extreme weather is 60 percent or more.’

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Photo for illustration. Lightning above the southeast of North Brabant. © Hollandse Hoogte / Rob Engelaar

Rijkswaterstaat

It will also be careful in traffic and on the water on Sunday during the thunderstorms and expected gusts of wind. Fierce thunderstorms are dangerous for road users, warns a spokesman for Rijkswaterstaat. The showers can also affect train traffic. NS advises travelers to keep a close eye on the weather forecast and to consult the journey planner.

“During thunderstorms there are dangerous driving conditions,” says a spokesperson for Rijkswaterstaat in response to code yellow that applies to a large part of the Netherlands on Sunday afternoon and code orange that was announced for four provinces on Sunday afternoon. “Motorists should pay close attention and check the weather and traffic information before departure. If you are caught in a storm on the road, don’t stop on the highway, but look for a safe place. We also advise motorists to drive more slowly and to adapt their driving behavior to the weather conditions.”

Water recreationists

Rijkswaterstaat also warns water recreationists in particular. “When the weather is nice, we see a lot of recreational users on the water. We also expect a lot of water sports enthusiasts to go out on Sunday. For those people it certainly applies that they have to keep a close eye on the weather forecast. They must immediately get off the water in the event of a thunderstorm. You don’t want to be on the water with thunderstorms and gusts of wind.”

Temperatures will also exceed 30 degrees in Belgium and France this weekend. Due to the warming of the lower air layers, the air begins to rise and a small low-pressure area forms on the ground. Less warm air is coming in from the west behind the cold front, which in turn collides with the warmer air type, according to Weerplaza. The interface between these two air types causes the formation of heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Bathers on the beach of Zandvoort.
Bathers on the beach of Zandvoort. © ANP / ANP

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