Storms lash the Netherlands

Storms lash the NetherlandsAmsterdam - Hail, rain and strong winds battered the Netherlands Tuesday, felling trees, creating localised flooding and causing major road and rail disruption.

The Dutch meteorological institute KNMI said wind speeds of more than 105 km/h caused trees to fall on roads and rail tracks, resulting in long delays throughout the country for commuters.

In the southwest of the country, hailstones of more than 5 cm were recorded.

There were more than 300 km of traffic jams on the Dutch roads, with the A20 near Rotterdam entirely closed off in both directions due to flooding and fallen trees.

Lightning brought down the railway network's electrical systems at Leiden, neer The Hague, and several other towns.

The city of Amersfoort in the central Netherlands will remain closed for all train traffic until the afternoon.(dpa)