Heat record for July 31 broken at Jelgava observation station

On Friday, the thermometer at the Jelgava observation station in Staļģene climbed to 31.8 degrees Celsius by 3 p.m., setting a new heat record for July 31 at that station, according to data from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre.

Equally warm conditions were observed in Dobele, where the air warmed to 31.8 degrees, thus repeating the record for that date. In Bauska, the highest temperature at 3 p.m. was 32.0 degrees, yet the existing record was not broken there, because on 31 July 2018 the town experienced even hotter weather at 33.3 degrees.

The capital Riga saw temperatures reach 30 degrees, while at Riga Airport the air warmed to 31 degrees. The national heat record for July 31 remains 34.1 degrees, set in Riga in 2002.

Weather outlook for the coming days

Forecasters say that on Friday evening and overnight into Saturday, many parts of central and eastern Latvia will see brief showers, with thunderstorms possible in places. Thunderstorms may locally bring very heavy rain, strong wind gusts, hail and gale-force winds. Elsewhere, winds will be light, which could allow fog to form over a wide area, especially in Kurzeme.

Overnight temperatures will drop to 16–19 degrees, and to 13–15 degrees in Kurzeme. On the first day of August, the sky will be mostly cloudy with isolated brief rain. Winds will remain light, and the air will warm to 20–25 degrees.