A powerful cyclone, "Prisca," passed over Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, as well as Poland and Belarus, on August 22 and 23: wind gusts exceeded 30 meters per second. One person died in northeastern Lithuania after being struck by a tree; a second person was killed under the rubble of a building in Jelgava, Latvia. Many residents were injured by fallen trees, reports UNN, citing DW.
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The publication notes that 14 people sought medical assistance in Latvia, with doctors reporting serious injuries. Most people were injured by falling trees and branches, including those that fell onto cars. Some were trapped in their vehicles. Riga Airport warned of possible flight delays.
The storm caused disruptions to the power supply. According to local media reports, more than 250,000 households in Latvia were left without electricity, as were more than 150,000 in Lithuania and almost 3,500 in Estonia. In Poland, more than 145,000 households were without power, while in Belarus, outages were recorded in more than 650 settlements. In addition, many mobile operator customers in Latvia experienced problems with communications.
"This is undoubtedly the strongest storm we have recorded this summer," the dpa news agency quotes a representative of the Lithuanian Meteorological Service as saying. Latvia’s Leta news agency described what happened as "the most destructive storm to hit the country since 2005."
Heavy rains also caused flooding in several regions, resulting in disruptions to road traffic, rail services, and maritime transport. As of the daytime on August 23, a moderate wind warning remains in effect in the region.