“From the end of the afternoon, the precipitation area is moving from the southwest (Zeeland) to the northeast (Groningen) across the country,” KNMI reports. “At the front this area can become treacherous with freezing rain and/or precipitation on a frozen surface. Sliding can last for several hours.”
The road surface temperature is below the freezing point
According to meteorologist Philippe Schambergen of Buienradar, rain will indeed cause precarious situations. When that rain starts to fall, the road surface temperature will likely still be below zero. The result: smoothness.
Code Orange across the country due to icy conditions
The orange code is not valid everywhere at the same time. Here is an overview of each county including the Wadden Islands:
- Zeeland: 17.00-21.00
- South Holland: 17.00-21.00
- North Holland: 19:00 – 23:00
- Wadden Islands: 19.00-23.00
- Flevoland: 19.00-23.00
- Gelderland: 19.00-02.00
- Utrecht: 19.00-23.00
- North Brabant: 19.00-23.00
- Drenthe: 21.00-02.00
- Groningen: 21.00-02.00
- Ofrigsil: 21.00-02.00
- Friesland: 21.00-02.00
- Limburg: 21.00-02.00
“Slipping has become very dangerous,” Shambergen predicts. “The initial phase in particular is dangerous, the first two, three hours after it starts to rain. Then the sleet remains on the ground. If after that it drops to three or four degrees, it will soon be over. Keep the rain radar in mind for holes when it starts Rainfall “.
Meteorologist Mark de Young explains in the video below that black ice is life threatening:
The Rijkswaterstaat sprinkles salt on the roads in the run-up to the orange code. At around 1pm, the Rijkswaterstaat had already spread nearly 600,000 kilograms of salt and had driven nearly 7,900 kilometers in the process. This brings the counter to nearly 19 million kilograms of salt and nearly 300,000 kilometers in the winter.
There is a possibility of delays on the road and failure of public transportation or air traffic. People are advised to watch weather reports, drive slower and keep their distance, and bring food, drink and warm clothes when you hit the road.
