Storm prompts 49 firefighter callouts to remove fallen trees

Severe storms swept across Lithuania on Thursday evening and overnight, prompting firefighters to respond 49 times to remove fallen trees, LRT reported. The storms brought heavy rain, thunder, strong winds and hail to many parts of the country.

The greatest damage was reported in Dzūkija, where trees were uprooted or broken, building roofs were damaged and traffic was disrupted. The Alytus County area recorded the most tree-removal work, with 25 callouts.

Firefighters sometimes removed as many as 50 trees during a single response, including in Varėna District. In Lazdijai District, 25 trees were removed during one callout. Most had fallen onto roads.

Three trees fell onto cars and one onto a building. Firefighters also removed trees from power lines four times. In Šalčininkai District, a tree fell onto the roof of a two-storey apartment building. No injuries were reported.

“The tree-removal work continued throughout the night,” Saulius Raščevskis, a senior specialist at the Situation Coordination Division of the Fire and Rescue Department, told ELTA on Friday morning.

Jolita Orentaitė, head of communications at the Fire and Rescue Department, said more emergency calls could be received during the day. She described the previous 24 hours as one of the most difficult periods for dealing with the effects of a storm.

The electricity distribution operator ESO reported 62 supply disruptions on Friday morning, affecting 2,143 customers. Thousands of residents had been left without electricity, particularly in Varėna and Lazdijai districts.

Forecasters expect brief rain in some parts of Lithuania on Friday, mainly in western districts, with temperatures of 21 to 26 degrees Celsius. Saturday will bring occasional rain in some areas and temperatures of 19 to 24 degrees. The chance of rain will be low on Sunday, when temperatures will reach 22 to 27 degrees.