Rescuers receive 38 calls over strong wind in Latvia, most in Kurzeme
Latvia's State Fire and Rescue Service received 38 reports of wind damage between Friday morning and Saturday morning. Most requests for help came from the Kurzeme region.
Latvia's State Fire and Rescue Service received 38 reports of damage caused by strong wind on the emergency number 112 in the 24 hours from 6:30 a.m. on Friday to 6:30 a.m. on Saturday. The stormy weather affected the western region of Kurzeme most.
Breakdown of calls
Kurzeme accounted for 20 requests for help, Riga for six, the Riga surroundings for five, Vidzeme for four and Zemgale for three. Most callouts concerned trees and branches that had fallen onto roadways and obstructed or fully blocked traffic.
Notable incidents
In Jelgava, on Oskara Kalpaka Street, wind tore roof structures off a five-storey residential building, and firefighters removed them. In Ventspils, on Lielais Avenue, wind ripped a downpipe from a building. In Riga, on Anniņmuižas Street, two pieces of facade fell from a two-storey unmanaged building at about 9 p.m.; rescuers cleared the roadway and cordoned off the area.
Wind strength and warnings
Observations by forecasters at the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre show the strongest gusts were recorded in Ventspils on Friday evening, reaching 28 m/s at 8 p.m. The wind gradually weakened overnight.
On Friday, a yellow-level warning for strong wind was in force in Riga and elsewhere in the country. An orange storm warning remained in effect on Kurzeme's western coast until late evening, and a cell broadcast alert was also sent out.
