Heavy rain floods several streets in Riga

Heavy rain caused flooding on several streets in Riga on Saturday afternoon, Riga's deputy mayor Edvards Ratnieks reported on social media.

The Riga City Council said that traffic near two bridges over the Daugava River had slowed due to high water levels, and that a complete halt of traffic could not be ruled out. Water is being pumped out of several streets and roadways.

By the second half of the day, 76 weather-related incidents had been registered in Riga. Most involved flooded streets, from which rescuers had already pumped out water or were in the process of doing so.

In addition, basements of some buildings and ground floors of houses were flooded, and one tree was recorded as having fallen.

Warnings across the country

Earlier, Latvia's meteorological service had issued a warning of heavy rain and wind for Saturday. Orange, yellow and even red warnings were declared in various regions of the country. As a result, many outdoor events planned in Latvia were cancelled.

A similar deterioration in weather conditions was forecast for Saturday afternoon in Estonia as well, where a corresponding warning was issued.