Latvia issues new yellow warning as floods threaten after storm
Latvia's weather service has issued a yellow warning for flooding of river floodplains and low-lying areas after heavy rain caused water levels to rise sharply. The warning remains in effect until Tuesday afternoon.
The Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre has issued a yellow-level warning, saying heavy rainfall has caused a rapid rise in river water levels across the country. Forecasters expect levels to keep climbing, leading to wider flooding of river floodplains and low-lying areas. The warning is in effect from Saturday at 18:45 until Tuesday, August 25, at 14:00.
Storm damage still being felt
The warning follows a powerful storm that swept across Latvia on Saturday evening and into Sunday night, leaving more than a quarter of a million households without electricity. The highest rainfall over the past 24 hours was recorded in Kolka, at 124 millimeters, while other areas of Kurzeme and central Latvia received between 40 and 80 millimeters.
The strongest wind gusts were recorded in Riga, reaching 31 meters per second. Jelgava and Rēzekne saw gusts of up to 27 meters per second, while Saldus, Stende, Ventspils and Bauska recorded gusts of up to 26 meters per second.
