Storm leaves 277,000 Latvian households without power
Sunday 23rd August 2026 on 07:15 in
Latvia
About 277,000 households in Latvia remained without electricity on Sunday morning after the storm and heavy rain on August 22, LSM reported. Wind gusts and rain were expected to continue during the day.
Electricity distribution company Sadales tīkls said widespread outages had affected both the distribution network and the transmission network operated by Augstsprieguma tīkls, disrupting service for large numbers of customers across Latvia. The worst-affected areas were Kurzeme, central Latvia and southeastern Latvia.
Residents were urged to follow the situation on the digital outage map, which contains information about registered damage to the electricity network.
Sadales tīkls said dangerous weather was hindering repair crews. Fallen trees and flooded areas were making it difficult to reach damaged infrastructure. The transmission network must be restored first to obtain a complete overview of the damage.
The company warned people not to approach damaged power lines, including lines entangled with trees or branches or with visibly broken wires. Residents were also told to keep away from flooded transformer substations, distribution units, washed-out supports, their structures and cables.
If water levels rise rapidly near a private home or farm building, residents should disconnect the electricity supply by switching off circuit breakers or fuses. Electricity should also be disconnected before an evacuation.
Dangerous situations should be reported immediately to emergency services by calling 112 or to Sadales tīkls on its 24-hour fault-reporting line, 8404.
Speaking on Latvian Radio’s Labrīt programme, Sadales tīkls board chairman Sandis Jansons said the storm was not a typical summer downpour. He said the wind had swept across southern Kurzeme, central Latvia, Vidzeme and Latgale, causing widespread damage.
Jansons said the situation was also serious in Lithuania, meaning the company could not expect assistance from specialists in the neighbouring country.