Due to cyclone activity, July in Latvia has been rich in precipitation. Already at 23 observation stations the July precipitation norm has been exceeded, and it is expected that the number of such stations will increase in these days.
In previous weeks, the most precipitation fell in the east, however, in the coming days, precipitation zones will cross the west of the country more, according to the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre.
Also on Thursday, the 31st of July, short-term rain is expected in many places, heavy downpours in places, locally very heavy in the west of the country, thunderstorms and hail are possible. On Friday, the situation will be similar, although the intensity of precipitation will decrease on weekends, but we will not be without rain clouds.
The runoff of rivers in the eastern part has been significantly increased for a long time. Calculations by the European Flood Information System (EFAS) show that currently almost
the entire eastern part of Latvia has an anomalously high level of soil moisture.
Over the past 24 hours, due to rain, the water level in many places rose or fluctuated with a tendency to rise, more in the rivers of the central and western regions, but also in some rivers of the eastern regions, including Tirza, Aiviekste and Liela Jugla, the water level continued to rise.
Very rainy weather is expected in the coming days, in some regions even very heavy rains are possible, intense precipitation in water bodies will cause a rapid rise in the water level. In the eastern part of Latvia, where the soil is already overwetted, and the water level in water bodies remains high for a long time, additional precipitation will worsen the situation – lower territories will be flooded more widely. In other river basins in the west of the country, the water level in water bodies will also rise, as a result of the rainfall, the lowest places will be flooded.
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