Strong winds and high waves cause problems on the Dutch coast. Beach huts have been blown to pieces between Castricum aan Zee and Wijk aan Zee and have disappeared into the sea. Beach houses are also damaged. A beach pavilion under construction has largely been washed away.
Problems are also looming north of the Wadden Islands. There, container ships were asked to adjust their route.
Because the water is pushed up by the strong north wind over an area of hundreds of kilometers, waves up to 6.5 meters high are created. At Castricum aan Zee, the sea hits the dunes.
Lie on your back
In Wijk aan Zee people try to prevent their beach houses from washing away. “I thought: I should come and see if everything is still in good order and put some bags of sand against it. If it gets worse tonight, then at least I have the feeling that I have done something about it”, says Peter Admiral at NH News.
Admiraal has had a beach house in Wijk aan Zee for 35 years and points out that strong winds are also part of beach life. “It’s not just lying on your back in the sun. It can also be completely different for a while.”
From Northern Norway to the Wadden
“There is a very elongated area with strong winds. That really goes from Northern Norway to all the way against the Wadden. All from the same wind direction, so the wave height builds up considerably”, says Peter van Suijlekom at Omrop Fryslân. Van Suijlekom is traffic controller at the Brandaris lighthouse on Terschelling.
Because the North Sea is gradually becoming shallower near the Wadden Islands, the waves can roll out over a great distance there. The islands themselves therefore expect few problems. But container ships are advised to take the northern route, instead of the southern route they normally take. The northern route is deeper and further away from the islands. According to Van Suijlekom, the container ships currently sailing in the area are following the advice.
“These kinds of high waves with a northwest wind occur a few times a year,” says a spokesman for the Coastguard Netherlands. “From waves of 4.5 meters high, we actively call on container ships of 200 meters or longer to take a different route.”
At noon this afternoon, the highest waves were expected to form around 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM tonight. “That situation will last until about 5:00 a.m. tomorrow,” said the spokesman.
MSC Zoe
In the night of 1 to 2 January 2019, the container ship MSC Zoe lost 342 containers during stormy weather. That ship then sailed the southern route.
Since that time, the Wadden Islands have found that container ships should always sail the northern route in case of strong wind or storm. The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) agrees. But so far it is not mandatory to change routes.
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