Thursday to bring brief rain before sunshine breaks through
Rain showers are expected across parts of Latvia on Thursday, but clearer skies and sunshine will move in from the west later in the day, with temperatures reaching up to +21 degrees.
Thursday began with cloudy conditions across Latvia, with rain falling in parts of Kurzeme since early morning, including some thundershowers, while a band of rain moved eastward from the west toward the country's central region. Meteorologists say current weather is being shaped by the southern edge of a cyclone.
Over the past 24 hours, the highest rainfall was recorded in Saldus, at 18 millimeters, and in Gulbene, at 12 millimeters, according to data from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre. On Wednesday, the highest air temperature was recorded in Mērsrags, where it reached +21.6 degrees, while in Alūksne and Saldus it stayed below +17.8 degrees.
Early Thursday morning, air temperatures across the country ranged from +11.7 degrees in Dagda to +17.6 degrees at Liepāja port. In Riga, the morning started overcast, with a light southerly wind of around four meters per second and a temperature near +14 degrees.
Skies expected to clear later in the day
Conditions are forecast to improve as the day progresses. Starting in the western part of the country, cloud cover will thin and sunshine will emerge. Air temperatures are expected to rise to between +17 and +21 degrees. Winds will blow from the west and southwest, with gusts of 10 to 15 meters per second, while coastal areas saw stronger gusts of up to 14 meters per second earlier in the day.
Brief rain is also possible in Riga, but cloud cover will decrease in the afternoon, with a moderate southwesterly wind and temperatures climbing to +20 or +21 degrees. Air quality across the country is rated good, while atmospheric pressure at sea level is forecast to range between 1010 and 1015 hectopascals.
