Forecasters warn of harsh Saturday in Latvia, with locally extreme rainfall possible

Latvia's Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre has issued a warning about a significant deterioration in weather conditions over the weekend. Clouds will gradually build up during the night into Saturday, with brief showers expected in places, mainly in the eastern part of the country. From the morning onward, a cyclone approaching from the east will bring a broad band of precipitation. Rain is expected to be prolonged and very heavy across much of the country, with the possibility of locally extreme rainfall in central regions. Thunderstorms may also develop there and in the east.

Wind conditions will be particularly changeable. In the first half of the day, winds will blow from the east, but by afternoon they will shift to a westerly and northwesterly direction, strengthening to 6-11 meters per second with gusts of 17-22 m/s. In the evening, gusts — mainly in central Latvia — could intensify further, reaching 25-30 m/s. Because of the expected strong wind and rain, an orange warning level has already been declared for part of the country's territory. Forecasters advise the public to monitor official warning updates.

Temperatures at night will drop to +10 to +15 degrees Celsius, while daytime highs will reach +14 to +19 degrees, with up to +23 degrees possible in southeastern areas.

Outlook for Sunday and Monday

On Sunday, skies will remain cloudy with only brief clear spells. Rain will continue across most of the country, prolonged overnight and locally heavy in northern regions, with some thunderstorms possible. At night, moderate to strong westerly and northwesterly winds will bring gusts of 18-23 m/s, reaching 25-30 m/s along the Gulf of Riga coast. Winds will gradually ease from midday. Overnight temperatures will fall to +12 to +16 degrees, rising to +15 to +20 degrees during the day.

Monday is expected to bring similar conditions — cloudy skies, rain in many areas, and possible thunderstorms both in the first half of the night and from midday onward, though winds will be weaker. Forecasters note that by the middle of next week, air pressure will rise and conditions will stabilize, with no significant precipitation and slightly higher temperatures on sunny days.