One dead and hundreds of flights cancelled at Schiphol airport as freak summer storm batters Netherlands

Woman dies after tree falls on her car during Poly – the first severe summer storm ever measured in the Netherlands

An uprooted tree has a car buried on the Zaanenlaan in Haarlem, The Netherlands after first summer storm of the year (EPA)

A woman died after a tree fell on her car after a rare and strong summer storm slammed the Netherlands with heavy rains and powerful winds, bringing air and train travel to a standstill.

People across much of the Netherlands were told to stay indoors after summer storm Poly lashed the Dutch coast early on Wednesday, setting off the highest alert of code red in at least three provinces.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled or delayed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport while the Dutch railway system halted the majority of train traffic.

More than 300 flights were cancelled from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, one of Europe’s busiest aviation hubs and more delays and cancellations are expected as the storm develops through the day.

“Due to strong gusts of wind, rain and poor visibility caused by storm Poly, very limited air traffic is possible between 9am and 4pm on Wednesday, 5 July. Both arriving and departing flights have been cancelled or delayed,” Schiphol Airport said in a statement.

“Schiphol finds it extremely unfortunate that this may have impact on your trip.”

NS railways, the Dutch rail network, said they are halting their services in at least seven places as “heavy storms can cause major damage to the train, the track and the overhead lines, making it no longer responsible to continue driving”.

The services were disrupted in North Holland, Flevoland, Friesland, Groningen, Drenthe, parts of Overijssel and parts of Gelderland.

Travellers wait at the Central Station in Amsterdam, The Netherlands (EPA)

Powerful winds of storm Poly of up to 146 kph (90 mph) hit the country during the first severe summer the Netherlands has ever seen.

The rains and gusty winds have toppled trees, blocking roads, prompting Dutch authorities to launch an emergency response.

A woman who got injured after a tree fell on her car was announced dead – the first known fatality from Poly, reported NL Times. The woman, 51, from Haarlem town was in the car with one other person, who survived the incident.

Dutch weather service Weerplaza said winds of force 11 – the second highest on the scale – were recorded in the northern port of Ijmuiden in North Holland province.

It made it the "first very severe summer storm ever measured", it said.

Emergency services in North Holland province, which includes the capital Amsterdam, issued a notification on resident’s phones urging them to stay indoors.

Traffic authorities urged motorists to avoid driving as the storm passed.