A powerful storm swept through the Baltic countries: there are casualties, and the streets of three capitals are flooded | УНН

Cyclone Priska tore through Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, and Belarus on August 22–23, killing two people and cutting power to over 550,000 households.

Original report
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Industry impact

The storm's disruption to Riga Airport flights and regional road, rail, and maritime transport highlights aviation and logistics networks' exposure to severe Baltic weather events.

Cyclone Priska swept through Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, and Belarus on August 22–23, killing two people and leaving more than 550,000 households without electricity. One person died in northeastern Lithuania after being struck by a fallen tree, while a second fatality occurred in Jelgava, Latvia, where a person was killed by falling building debris. In Latvia, 14 people sought medical attention, with doctors reporting serious injuries mostly caused by falling trees and branches, including trees that fell onto vehicles and trapped occupants inside. Riga Airport warned of possible flight delays.

The storm produced wind gusts exceeding 30 meters per second. Power outages affected more than 250,000 households in Latvia, more than 150,000 in Lithuania, and nearly 3,500 in Estonia. In Poland, over 145,000 households lost power, while outages were recorded in more than 650 settlements in Belarus. Many mobile network customers in Latvia also experienced communication disruptions.

Heavy rainfall caused flooding in several regions, disrupting road traffic, rail services, and maritime transport. As of the afternoon of August 23, a moderate wind warning remained in effect across the region. The Lithuanian Meteorological Service described the event as the strongest storm recorded this summer, while Latvia's Leta news agency called it the most destructive storm to hit the country since 2005.