Riga – Latvia is experiencing an unprecedented warm spell for mid-December, shattering decades-old temperature records across the nation. The unseasonably mild conditions, driven by a persistent high-pressure system over the region, are raising eyebrows among meteorologists and prompting concerns about the impact on winter agriculture and the Baltic ecosystem. As of Thursday, Latvia has logged 395 warmth records for the year, a striking contrast to the mere nine cold records broken during the same period.
Latvia is experiencing an unusually warm December, with temperature records falling across the country in recent days. The mild weather is a notable departure from typical winter conditions in the Baltic region.
On Tuesday, Bauska recorded a high of 52.7 degrees Fahrenheit (9.4 degrees Celsius), breaking the previous record for December 9th. Seven observation stations throughout Latvia registered new high temperatures for the date.
The warmth continued into Wednesday evening, with Riga reaching 53.1 degrees Fahrenheit (9.9 degrees Celsius). This surpassed the previous Latvian record for December 10th – 50.3 degrees Fahrenheit (10.1 degrees Celsius) – which had stood since 1964 in Kolka. All 25 observation stations across the country reported record high temperatures for the day.
Thursday saw a high of 52.7 degrees Fahrenheit (9.4 degrees Celsius) in Daugavpils as of 5 a.m. local time. This exceeded the national record for December 11th, which was 47.3 degrees Fahrenheit (8.6 degrees Celsius) set in Jelgava in 1944. Record temperatures were recorded at all observation stations except Skulti overnight.
Since the beginning of the year, Latvia has broken 395 warmth records, the highest number in recent years. In contrast, only nine cold temperature records have been broken during the same period.
As of Thursday morning, skies are cloudy across Latvia with no significant precipitation expected. Temperatures are ranging from 46 to 53 degrees Fahrenheit (6 to 9 degrees Celsius) nationwide.
Winds are moderate, coming from the west-southwest at 13 to 22 miles per hour (6-11 meters per second), and reaching up to 28 miles per hour (14 meters per second) along the coast. Air quality is reported as good.
In Riga, the morning is cloudy with southwesterly winds at 7 to 11 miles per hour (3-7 meters per second), and the temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius).
Across Europe on December 10th, the highest temperatures were recorded in Spain and Italy, reaching 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 21 degrees Celsius). The coldest temperature overnight into Thursday was -23 degrees Fahrenheit (-27 degrees Celsius) in northern Finland.
