According to weather forecasts, a storm is expected to hit Riga on Saturday and continue into Sunday, prompting the municipality to urge residents to avoid parks, playgrounds and cemeteries, Riga City Council said.
Heavy rainfall and possible flooding are also expected, and residents are being advised to avoid using private vehicles.
Municipal services will work alongside the State Fire and Rescue Service to deal with the aftermath of the storm, including clearing fallen trees from park paths and other areas, repairing damage to public transport overhead power lines and carrying out other necessary measures, such as monitoring fluctuations in water levels.
Riga Deputy Mayor Edvards Ratnieks urged residents on X to exercise caution, follow instructions from emergency services and avoid going outside unless necessary.
Ratnieks told LETA that he was in contact with organisers of major events in Riga.
Organisers will make their own decisions regarding any changes to scheduled events, while the municipality is prepared to respond quickly and act flexibly depending on weather conditions.
Ratnieks has also instructed city services to establish an emergency coordination centre if necessary, similar to the arrangements put in place during Storm Kirstija.
Municipal services will remain on heightened alert to respond quickly and deal with any consequences of the storm, the deputy mayor said.
If weather conditions cause damage that poses a threat to people’s health or lives, communications infrastructure or public transport, residents are advised to call the emergency number 112.
If a tree has fallen but does not pose an immediate danger, residents are asked to report it via the municipality’s 24-hour hotline at 1201 or by email at [email protected].
If a tree falls on privately owned land, photographs of the damaged or fallen tree must be taken before it is removed.
These must later be attached to an application, and Riga City Council’s City Development Department must also be notified.
As previously reported, according to the latest data available early Friday morning, rain will move in from the south on Saturday morning and continue until the night into Sunday. Rainfall totals of 30 to 80 millimetres are expected in Kurzeme, Zemgale and Vidzeme, with the heaviest rainfall forecast for eastern Kurzeme, Zemgale and western Vidzeme. Latgale is expected to receive the least rain.
Winds will begin to strengthen during the day on Saturday and are expected to develop into storm-force winds across many areas by the evening and overnight into Sunday. As the centre of the cyclone crosses Latvia, wind direction will vary. According to current forecasts, westerly wind gusts are expected to reach between twenty and twenty-seven metres per second across most of the country on Saturday evening and overnight into Sunday. Gusts of up to thirty-two metres per second are possible along the Vidzeme coast, including in the capital.
Various outdoor events are scheduled to take place in Riga and elsewhere in Latvia on Saturday. The European Family Festival, for example, is scheduled to take place in Riga’s Uzvaras Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. At 8 p.m., musician Gatis Irbe’s projects Gacho and Mesa are due to perform a joint concert, “Roku rokā”, at the Mežaparks Great Bandstand.
Riga is also due to host the international BMX competition Simple Session Street Series 2026, while the “Saulespuķu ceļš” march in support of Ukraine is scheduled to depart from the Freedom Monument at 5:30 p.m., alongside several other events.
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