First Half of Summer in Kurzeme Wettest on Record

This year, a dry spring – the second driest since 1924 – has been followed by an unusually wet June and July in Latvia. Data from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre shows that in some parts of Kurzeme, the first half of summer has become the rainiest on record.

During spring, the average precipitation across the country was only half of the norm, and the period from last September to this May was also the second driest since measurements began. In June, precipitation remained below normal in parts of the country, but in some locations, such as Vičaki in Ventspils Municipality, June was the second wettest, while in Kuldīga and Sīļi in Līvāni Municipality, it was the third wettest on record.

July started particularly wet – in the first ten days, ten observation stations exceeded the entire July norm, with the heaviest rainfall in Kurzeme. By July 21, Ventspils had already become the second wettest July, and Pāvilosta and Stende the third wettest. In Vičaki, the June-July period is now the wettest on record, while in Liepāja and Ventspils it is the second wettest, and in Kuldīga and Bauska the third wettest.

The heaviest downpours occurred on July 8 and 20 in Ventspils, where daily precipitation reached 80 millimetres. On July 20, 60 millimetres fell in four hours in the evening. At the Stende observation station, precipitation reached 40 millimetres in three hours and 72 millimetres in eight hours on the same day.

This summer, Latvia has already seen 25 days with heavy precipitation (at least 10 millimetres per day) in at least one observation station. From July 20 to 22, water levels in several Kurzeme rivers rose by one to two metres, but are now receding.

Forecasters predict continued rain in the coming days, with precipitation mostly isolated but occasionally widespread and heavy, accompanied by thunder.