New Year’s fireworks display canceled due to strong winds

The Scheveningen bonfire was lit a day early due to forecast high winds. Photo: Jeffrey Groeneg ANP

Most of the big fireworks shows seen in the New Year have been canceled due to the expected high winds on Saturday night. Traditional bonfires were lit on the beaches of Scheveningen and Deindorp on Friday evening as a precaution against high winds.

Amsterdam’s Adam Tower show with fireworks and drones has been canceled on Saturday afternoon and will be rescheduled for January 2. The Rotterdam show at the Erasmus Bridge has been canceled for safety reasons due to high winds.

Two shows at Hilversum have been cancelled, as have shows at Apeldoorn, Zoetermeer, Katwijk and Akram, as well as the traditional Hofweiver show at The Hague.

The planned light show in the capital’s Museum Square will go ahead, but no fireworks, officials said.

Strong winds will bring unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures set to soar to 17 degrees Celsius in the south. December 31, 2022 is already down as the warmest day since records began.

At 3:10 am, 15.4 degrees Celsius was recorded at the El weather station in Limburg, and 16.4 degrees Celsius in the early morning. New Year’s Day is also forecast to be warm.

According to the KNMI Meteorological Office, Saturday night will likely be dry in most places, despite high winds that could reach Gale 8 in coastal areas.

This article will be updated