Stormy weather replaces heatwave in Lithuania: heavy rain in capital, squall hits Varėna district

Stormy weather has replaced the heatwave in Lithuania, with heavy rain and thunderstorms reported in Vilnius and a squall affecting the Varėna district, LRT.lt reports.

Short but intense rain with thunderstorms was observed in many parts of the country on Tuesday, with some areas experiencing squalls and hail. The first signs of severe weather were recorded in western Lithuania before noon, while thunderclouds reached Vilnius around 16:30. Residents reported particularly stormy conditions in the Varėna district.

In the capital, heavy rain with thunderstorms began in the late afternoon and returned again around 21:00. Social media users shared images from Varėna, Prienai, and the Marijampolė area, showing heavy downpours and thick, lead-coloured clouds. According to meteorologists, Alytus received about one-third of its usual July rainfall. Residents of Anykščiai district shared photos of lightning damage.

The stormy weather is expected to affect mainly the southeastern edge of the country, including the Druskininkai, Varėna, and Šalčininkai districts, as well as the southern part of Vilnius district.

Due to the squall, around 4,000 electricity consumers were left without power on Tuesday evening. Later reports indicated that the number had risen to about 8,000. Rasos Juodkienė, a representative of the Electricity Distribution Operator (ESO), said most outages were recorded in the Švenčionys, Vilnius, and Alytus districts. ESO’s outage map showed that around 17:00, about 9,000 consumers were without electricity.

The Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service reported that after a heatwave, storm clouds are moving across Lithuania, accompanied by thunderstorms and winds of 15–20 m/s. In the coming hours, rain clouds will continue to move northeast, with short rain showers, thunderstorms, and hail expected in some areas.

Vilnius city municipality’s company Grinda shared a warning for capital residents on social media, noting that thunderstorm clouds were expected to reach the Vilnius area after noon, around 17:00. “Although it is more likely that the storm will only reach the Vilnius district, we urge city residents to prepare as well,” Grinda stated. The company warned that temperatures could drop sharply to around 20°C, with wind gusts reaching 25 m/s, along with heavy rain and hail.

During summer storms, it is recommended to securely close windows and doors, collect lightweight items in yards, balconies, and other open areas, and avoid parking cars near tall trees. Meteo.lt advised those outdoors to avoid standing under trees, near billboards, power lines, lightning rods, or metal towers, and to stay away from open areas, water bodies, or swimming in them. If caught driving in a storm, drivers should remain highly focused, keep both hands on the wheel, and adjust speed according to road conditions.

Weather changes are expected on Wednesday. Overnight, short rain showers with thunderstorms are forecast in some areas, with temperatures around 13–18°C. During the day, rain is expected only in some parts of Lithuania, with temperatures reaching 21–26°C.