RIGA, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Except for a light snowfall in Latvia during the first days of December, weather forecasts released on Friday suggest that air temperatures in the Baltic country will remain around freezing throughout the month, with a prolonged winter frost unlikely to set in.

According to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, most of Europe, including Latvia, will experience temperatures this winter that are above the historical average.

In November, Latvia saw average temperatures of 4.2 degrees Celsius, which is 2 degrees above the historical average, according to data from the Latvian Environment, Geology, and Meteorology Center. The month also set 15 warm-weather records, including a high of 14.9 degrees Celsius on the first day of November.

In recent years, Latvia has been feeling the impact of climate change, with milder winters, severe summer heatwaves, and more extreme, out-of-season storms and floods. These changes have had lasting consequences, damaging property and the environment. For example, the warmer winters mean that soil doesn't freeze, which in turn makes Latvia's sandy coastline more vulnerable to erosion from winter storms in the Baltic Sea.

In July 2024, Latvia was hit by two severe storms that caused significant damage. The first storm on July 11 struck the central town of Bauska, causing widespread power outages and tearing the roof off a stadium. Wind gusts reached speeds of 31 meters per second.

Later in the month, Cyclone Kirsti swept through central Latvia, bringing gale-force winds and an astonishing 193 mm of rainfall in just a few hours, resulting in widespread flooding and traffic disruptions. Enditem

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