Lightning strikes spark fires and disrupt travel as severe storms hit the Netherlands
Lightning strikes caused fires in homes, damage to a flat in Apeldoorn and delays on Dutch rail routes as severe thunderstorms swept across the Netherlands on Friday.
Severe thunderstorms brought lightning strikes, house fires, power problems and travel disruption to several parts of the Netherlands on Friday evening.
A series of lightning-related incidents across the country appears to have driven a sharp rise in Dutch searches for terms such as “blikseminslag vandaag”, “blikseminslag huis” and “blikseminslag auto”. The weather problems came as KNMI warned of severe thunderstorms in Groningen, Drenthe, Overijssel and Gelderland, with risks including large hail, heavy wind gusts, intense rain and lightning damage.
Lightning strike damages flat in Apeldoorn
In Apeldoorn, emergency services were called to Gentiaanstraat after lightning struck a flat building early Friday evening. Local reports said the strike followed a bright flash and a loud bang heard across the surrounding area.
The impact damaged the building and left parts of the Zevenhuizen area without power. The fire brigade checked the building and residents were kept outside while the situation was assessed.
Several homes hit in Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer was also hit by lightning-related fires. At Van Boisotring, lightning struck a home shortly before 17:00 while a heavy thunderstorm was passing over the area. Flames came from the roof and firefighters scaled up to “middelbrand” while working around continuing lightning activity.
Another fire was reported at Notarisappelhof during the same storm system. No injuries were reported in those incidents.
Farmhouse destroyed in Bleskensgraaf
One of the most serious incidents happened in Bleskensgraaf, where a farmhouse with a thatched roof caught fire on Abbekesdoel. The regional safety authority later confirmed that the fire had been caused by a lightning strike.
ZHZ Veilig said an NL-Alert was sent because of heavy smoke, urging people nearby to stay out of the smoke, close windows and doors and turn off ventilation systems. A specialist team for thatched-roof fires was called in, but the home could not be saved. The fire brigade later allowed the building to burn out in a controlled way while water screens helped prevent the fire from spreading to a nearby property.
Thunderstorms also affected trains and roads
The severe weather also disrupted transport. Lightning and fallen trees caused delays on several rail routes, including between Lochem and Goor, Hoogeveen and Beilen, Ede-Wageningen and Arnhem Centraal, and Zwolle and Wierden.
Road traffic was also affected. On the A13 near Rotterdam The Hague Airport, a tree fell onto the carriageway, temporarily blocking several lanes and causing heavy delays during the evening rush hour.
Warnings later lifted
KNMI later ended its weather warnings as the strongest storms moved away. Earlier in the evening, code orange had been active in four provinces, while other parts of the country were under code yellow for thunderstorms.
The combination of official weather warnings, multiple local house fires and transport disruption helps explain why lightning-related searches surged across the Netherlands.
