Autumn weather is finally arriving, but this summer’s extreme drought is still affecting Dutch homes. Here is what matters on Thursday 8 October, from foundation damage to a slow morning on the motorways.
Dry summer leaves nearly half a million homes at risk of foundation damage
Months of extreme drought are making foundation problems worse across the Netherlands, and NOS reports that almost half a million homes are under threat. Foundation repair companies are busy as more homeowners find cracks in their walls after returning from holiday. Experts expect many more houses to be damaged in the coming years, and say extreme weather linked to climate change could make the problem worse. If you own a home or are thinking of buying one, these are risks to keep in mind.
Source: NOS
A12 jams stretch 25 kilometres between The Hague region and Utrecht
Drivers around The Hague faced queues on almost every motorway in the region on Thursday morning. The longest was a 25-kilometre jam on the A12 between Zevenhuizen and De Meern, which added 30 minutes to journeys towards Utrecht. In the other direction there were nine kilometres of queues, between Woerden and Nieuwerbrug aan den Rijn and between Zoetermeer and The Hague.
Source: Omroep West
Collision on the A15 causes an hour of delays
A crash involving two vehicles on the A15 near Hardinxveld-Giessendam caused heavy delays on Thursday morning, with waiting times of about an hour. Both vehicles had to be towed away. If you use this route between the Rotterdam region and the east, check traffic updates before you set off.
Source: Rijnmond
Amsterdam transport operator GVB wants self-driving minibuses
GVB, which runs Amsterdam’s public transport, wants to bring self-driving minibuses to the city. Het Parool asks whether these buses would be safe and whether passengers would be willing to ride without a driver.
Source: Het Parool
Study finds former transgender law caused serious harm
A research report by Radboud University concludes that the old Dutch transgender law caused “profound physical, psychological, and social harm on transgender and intersex people.” The findings add to the public record on how the law affected people who lived under it.
Source: NL Times
Food safety watchdog raids livestock traders in Overijssel
Investigators from the NVWA, the Dutch food and product safety authority, have raided the homes and businesses of two livestock traders in Overijssel. The investigation concerns suspected fraud and animal cruelty.
Source: DutchNews
Netherlands Today is a curated digest: we summarise and link, the reporting belongs to the publications named. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.
Sources
- NL Times: Old Dutch transgender law caused "profound physical, psychological, social harm": study, accessed 8 October 2026
- DutchNews: Raids on Overijssel livestock businesses over fraud and cruelty, accessed 8 October 2026
- NOS: Droogte verergert problemen met funderingen, bijna half miljoen huizen bedreigd, accessed 8 October 2026
- Het Parool: GVB wil zelfrijdende busjes in Amsterdam: is het veilig en stappen mensen wel in een bus zonder chauffeur?, accessed 8 October 2026
- Rijnmond: Een uur vertraging op A15 na ongeluk met twee voertuigen, accessed 8 October 2026
- Omroep West: Files op bijna alle snelwegen in de regio, langste file is 25 kilometer, accessed 8 October 2026
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