{
  "id": 2718388,
  "title": "Over 160,000 lose power as Latvia hit by powerful storm",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/over-160-000-lose-power-as-latvia-hit-by-powerful-storm",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-23T04:42:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/08/23/over-160-000-lose-power-as-latvia-hit-by-powerful-storm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Saturday evening, a powerful storm struck Latvia, leaving over 160,000 customers without electricity. The cyclone entered from the south, bringing torrential rain and damaging winds, as described by Latvian news agency LETA. The Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC) issued red and orange warnings for heavy rainfall and strong winds, respectively. The storm caused extensive damage to the electricity distribution network, with fallen trees being the primary cause of the outages. Emergency crews worked diligently to restore power, but some customers may remain without electricity for more than 24 hours. Several train services experienced delays due to the severe weather, and strong winds caused significant damage, including a building's roof being torn off in Daugavpils and a residential building being damaged by a fallen tree. Outdoor events were canceled, and numerous weather-related emergency calls surged due to the storm.",
  "summary": "The country's distribution network has been damaged mainly by fallen trees as emergency crews work to restore electricity.",
  "key_points": [
    "Over 160,000 customers in Latvia lose power due to powerful storm",
    "Cyclone entered from the south, bringing torrential rain and strong winds",
    "Emergency crews work to restore power, some without electricity for over 24 hours"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The storm's extensive damage to Latvia's electricity distribution network means many customers will be without power for an extended period, straining emergency services and disrupting daily life.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Over 160,000 lose power as Latvia hit by powerful storm",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/over-160-000-lose-power-as-latvia-hit-by-powerful-storm-2719685",
        "published": "2026-08-23T04:42:22.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}