A powerful cyclone swept through Latvia and Lithuania over the weekend, killing two people and leaving roughly half a million without electricity. Winds exceeding 30 metres per second battered the region on Saturday and into Sunday morning.
One person died in Jelgava, central Latvia, when part of a building collapsed, while at least 14 others were injured, some seriously, according to Latvian rescue authorities. In neighbouring Lithuania, a person was killed by a falling tree and more than 200,000 residents lost power by Sunday morning. Mobile services were also disrupted across the affected areas.
The storm's effects rippled beyond the Baltics, with more than 100,000 people losing power in north-eastern Poland. Riga airport warned on Sunday morning that flights could be delayed or rerouted due to the severe overnight weather.