One person dead as heavy storms hit Baltic states

One person died and some 200,000 households were left without electricity in Lithuania and neighbouring Latvia as strong storm winds and heavy rain pounded the Baltic nations overnight.

A 50-year-old woman was killed in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius by a falling tree on Monday, authorities said. Fire and rescue officials in both countries have received hundreds of emergency calls for fallen trees, damaged cars and flooded roads and fields.

In Lithuania, authorities warned people to travel only in urgent situations as the storm brought severe winds and catastrophic levels of rain into most regions in the country of 2.8 million.

In the districts of Šiauliai, Telšiai and Šilalė, a month’s worth of rain was recorded on Sunday and Monday according to Lithuanian meteorologists.

Weather experts said prevailing strong winds in Latvia are set to continue to raise water levels along the coast of the Gulf of Riga. The Daugava river — which runs through the capital Riga — may flood.

Officials in Riga said early Monday that the capital’s central Dome Square has been temporarily closed due to the danger posed to the public by wind damage to a section of roof on the medieval Dome Cathedral.

A handful of flights were cancelled or diverted to other airports in Lithuania as planes were unable to land in Vilnius or the second city, Kaunas, due to the storm.

The southern part of Estonia, the third Baltic state, was also hit by heavy rain and storm winds but avoided major material damage.

The storm is expected to remain in the region at least until Monday afternoon.