Powerful storm hits Baltic countries, killing 2 and leaving hundreds of thousands without power

Two people died and approximately half a million residents across Latvia and Lithuania were left without electricity following a powerful cyclone that struck the region on Saturday and into Sunday morning. The storm, described as the worst to hit Latvia since 2005, brought heavy rain and strong winds. In Latvia, the death occurred in Jelgava when a building collapsed during the storm, and several others sustained injuries.

Riga, the capital, experienced wind speeds over 67 mph, while many locations recorded half of their typical monthly rainfall on Saturday alone. Over a quarter of a million people lost electricity during the storm, and mobile services were disrupted. Public transport services were also affected as trees and objects fell onto infrastructure.

The Riga airport reported possible flight delays or rerouting due to the severe weather. One death was also reported in Lithuania after a person was struck by a falling tree. Additional injuries were reported, and over 200,000 residents in Lithuania were left without power on Sunday morning. Strong winds also impacted Estonia, particularly its western and northern regions and islands, disrupting ferry services and causing delays for trains arriving from Latvia and Lithuania.

The potential role of climate change in intensifying the rainfall from the cyclone remains unclear, according to Andris Viksna from the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center.