News Weather
Local downpours flood fields
Rain showers fell in various places yesterday, which for a short time left plots completely blank and flooded plot ditches. Sometimes there was also hail. Especially in the north of the Netherlands it got wet, but further south there was sometimes a heavy shower.
At first sight, the Noordoostpolder is the hardest hit. After a sweltering day, at the end of the day and early evening, between 30 and 40 millimeters fell in a short time. What is remarkable is that it remained virtually dry a few kilometers away. This also applies to the northern part of North Holland, where the differences are also large. These showers moved on to Friesland where locally a lot of water fell. Because the rain fell so locally, there is usually little to be found on the weather maps.
It also rained heavily in the northeast and east, although that rain was usually expected. This involved quantities between 20 and 40 millimetres. In the south there were sometimes downpours – as in West Brabant – but there are no problems. There were also occasional downpours in Belgium.
Waiting to plant and mow
In many places the land had just started to dry up a bit and work could be started again. The necessary spraying work has to be done, but potatoes also have to be put into the ground. Where those heavy showers fell, that will have to wait for a while. A single farmer started mowing a heavy first cut of grass yesterday, but that's a big gamble. Showers can unpleasantly surprise farmers. Because it will remain very volatile next week, some companies still choose to take the gamble.
Thunderstorms with hail or a lot of rain are also possible in the coming days, although it will remain dry according to the general weather forecast. It will remain unsettled next week, with regular small amounts of rain. While dairy farmers like to have their grass in the silage, some arable farmers are also sitting on hot coals. There is still plenty of planting to do, especially in the north, and milling also comes into play.
Damage unknown
The damage caused by the storms is uncertain. It often looks very bad right after a shower. The major damage now is that workable days are lost again and the clock is ticking in the meantime.
Niels van der Boom
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