Icy roads and mist in northern and central parts of the Netherlands led to Tuesday morning’s rush hour being the busiest so far this year, with the total traffic jam length reaching 378 kilometres shortly before 9am.

The traffic problems were exacerbated by a number of accidents, including a four-car pile-up on the A1 slip road onto the Amsterdam ring road. There were also accidents on the A2 and A4 – both busy commuter routes.

Weather forecasters say there is a strong chance that the Netherlands will be hit by wintry showers later on Tuesday although it will be sunny and calm during the day.

On Tuesday night and Wednesday it will be windy with storm force gales possible in coastal areas. The winds will be accompanied by rain and sleet, causing further problems on the roads on Wednesday morning.

The weather will remain unsettled for the rest of the week.