Leafy trees worsened damage from rare summer storm, Meteo LT says

Leaf cover increased the damage caused by a powerful weekend storm in Lithuania, which the country more commonly experiences in autumn or winter, the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service told LRT.

Meteorologist Gytis Valaika said the weight of the leaves made trees easier for the wind to uproot, leading to more fallen trees and downed power lines.

Such storms are more typical in November or during the cold season, when trees have lost their leaves, Valaika said. He added that winds of this strength are unusual in summer, although a similar storm occurred three years ago.

The main feature of the latest storm was strong wind rather than rainfall, particularly in central Lithuania, where severe wind gusts caused extensive damage. However, Meteo LT data showed that some parts of the country received almost a full month of August rainfall within 12 hours.

Šilutė received 82.5 millimetres of rain in no more than 12 hours, equal to 93 percent of its August average. Very heavy rain was also recorded in Mažeikiai, with 74.1 millimetres, or 94 percent of the monthly average; Šiauliai, with 62 millimetres, or 93 percent; Kretinga, with 60.7 millimetres, or 63 percent; and Skuodas, with 59.8 millimetres, or 65 percent.

Valaika said the rainfall was caused by a southern cyclone, which absorbs large amounts of moisture before releasing it as it reaches the Baltic region. The rain fell across a relatively narrow strip of western Lithuania, while other parts of the country did not receive unusually large amounts.

He said forecasts had accurately predicted both the rainfall and the wind. No storms of a similar scale are expected in the coming days. Some western districts may receive heavier rain at the start of the week, but conditions are expected to become drier and calmer later.

The storm was the strongest recorded in Lithuania this summer, according to BNS. On Monday morning, about 129,000 consumers were still without electricity, while the Emergency Response Centre received more than 33,000 calls over the weekend.