Latvia sees surprisingly warm start to October — temperatures to reach +22°C

The first day of October has brought unexpectedly warm weather to Latvia. Sunshine is expected across much of the country on Thursday, with the highest temperatures recorded along the western Kurzeme coastline, where readings could climb as high as +22°C.

Elsewhere in the country, warming will be more moderate — eastern regions will see temperatures around +15°C, while Riga can expect up to +19°C as cloud cover gradually clears and a light southeasterly wind blows.

No precipitation is expected on Thursday. The weather is being governed by an anticyclone, with atmospheric pressure at sea level ranging from 1035 to 1040 hectopascals. Winds across the country will be light to moderate, blowing from the east and southeast.

Morning fog lingers

On Thursday morning, haze and dense fog were observed in many parts of Latvia. Visibility was poorest around 5 a.m. at the Alūksne, Gulbene, and Rūjiena observation stations, ranging between 140 and 270 metres. Western Latvia had light cloud cover, while Vidzeme, Latgale, and Sēlija were mostly overcast. Air quality was rated as good.

Historical records and the wider European picture

According to data from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, the highest air temperature ever recorded in Latvia on October 1 was +23.1°C, measured in Daugavpils in 1981. On Wednesday, maximum temperatures across the observation network ranged from +16.1°C in Kolka to +20.3°C in Ventspils.

Across Europe on September 30, the highest air temperatures — between +30°C and +33°C — were recorded in many southern, western, and central European countries. The coldest readings came overnight into Thursday in Finland, where temperatures dropped to -4°C, and in Bulgaria's mountains, where they fell to -6°C.