Strong winds leave Palanga beach covered in seaweed as crews work to clear it

Heavy winds have left Palanga’s beach blanketed in seaweed, with municipal workers now tasked with removing the piles, LRT reports.

The seaweed, washed ashore in unusually large quantities, has not been reclaimed by the sea, forcing crews to haul it away. Strong winds and rain have also eroded parts of the beach, leaving some areas nearly bare of sand.

Since early Monday, heavy machinery has been working near the bridge to clear the seaweed. Gediminas Valinevičius, director of Palanga’s municipal services, explained that while the sea often deposits and later retrieves seaweed, this time it did not. The seaweed must be removed for aesthetic and hygiene reasons, as it begins to smell in the sun.

Residents noted the seaweed first appeared over the weekend, with the heaviest concentrations near the bridge and north toward the lifeguard station—the most visited parts of the beach. One local described the beach as “ruined” by the storm a few days prior, while another said the seaweed had formed a thick layer in places.

Lifeguards also face challenges due to the recent weather. Jonas Pirožnikas, head of Palanga’s lifeguard service, said the area between the lifeguard station and the bridge is now impassable by vehicle, forcing detours through the city. Some lifeguard posts were flooded, and sand has been washed northward toward Latvia. “Our Latvian neighbours get most of the sand—it all travels from Palanga and Šventoji to them,” he said.

Plans are underway to replenish the beach with sand, a measure that has proven effective in the past. “Beach replenishment works—it widens the beach and helps protect the dunes during storms,” Valinevičius said. Municipal workers expect to finish clearing the seaweed within a couple of days.