Tie down the balcony chairs. A Riga wind warning kicks in this afternoon, and the gusts peak after dark.
A yellow wind warning covers Riga and most of Latvia from 2pm Friday, 9 October, until 6am Saturday, the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVĢMC) says. In the city, gusts should hit around 20 metres per second in the evening.
Key facts
- Yellow warning: Riga and most of Latvia, 2pm Friday to 6am Saturday
- Riga gusts: around 20 m/s from the west and north-west, strongest in the evening
- Orange warning: western Kurzeme, 4pm to 11pm, with gusts up to 29 m/s on the open coast
- Weather: rain with short heavy showers, top temperature 12–13°C in Riga
- Emergency: call 112 if anyone’s in danger
How strong will the wind get in Riga?
Strong enough to do damage. The wind builds through the afternoon and is at its worst in the late afternoon and evening. LVĢMC says gusts like these can snap branches, bring down whole trees and wreck light structures like ad boards and scaffolding. Power lines can break too.
The coast gets it harder. Gusts reach 20–25 m/s along the Gulf of Riga in Vidzeme and up to 29 m/s on Kurzeme’s open sea coast. The wind also pushes water up along the shore and into the mouths of rivers that run into the Gulf, the Daugava included.
What should you do before the wind hits?
The State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) says stay indoors during the worst of it if you can. Before it starts:
- Close windows, doors and attic hatches.
- Bring in or tie down anything on balconies, terraces and in yards.
- Don’t park under trees or next to scaffolding, ad boards or power lines.
- Charge your phone and keep a torch handy in case the power goes.
Driving or riding tonight? Watch for branches and fallen trees on the road, all through Friday night. Add that to an autumn that already brought the Ziepniekkalns overpass closure and the Vanšu bridge fight.
It calms down over the weekend, with gusts of 10–15 m/s and on-and-off showers. Then Monday, the radiators come on. Track the latest warnings at bridinajumi.meteo.lv.
Stay in, charge up, see you Saturday.
