"We're going crazy!", especially on days like these, it is interesting that the Eneco NK Headwind Cycling is held in weather conditions such as those currently expected.
As storm Ciarán ravages the Dutch coastline, the question arises whether the massive work-from-home advice is justified. It is clear that the storm is mainly affecting the west of the country, with expected wind gusts of 75 to 100 kilometers per hour and heavy rainfall. But is it necessary to encourage the whole of the Netherlands to work from home?
In France, wind speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour have been measured and trees have already been blown down in West Flanders. The weather is also described as very stormy in England and Belgium, with very heavy gusts of wind expected in Belgium. All this seems far away from places like Zwolle and Valkenburg, where the weather may be less severe.
Nevertheless, the ANWB advises everyone in the Netherlands to work from home on Thursdays, due to a code yellow issued by the KNMI. This code means potentially dangerous weather, with a greater than 60 percent chance of wind gusts exceeding 75 kilometers per hour. According to the ANWB, this can lead to longer traffic jams than usual.
The KNMI is an innovative knowledge institute that closely monitors developments in the field of observations, big data and models. However, the question remains whether the work-from-home advice and weather codes are not a bit exaggerated. After all, code yellow is a common warning in the Netherlands, and many people are now used to it.
'We're screaming!'
It is interesting that the Eneco NK Headwind Cycling is held in weather conditions as are currently expected. In this championship, cyclists compete on normal city bikes over the Oosterscheldekering, and the event only takes place in very bad weather. This shows that there is also a positive side to the stormy weather.
Yet the question remains why national advice is given, and not per region. Legally, the KNMI is only allowed to warn at provincial level, which may explain why the warnings are not always accurate. It would be more logical to tailor the advice to the regions where the storm actually hits, instead of general advice for the whole of the Netherlands.
