Fog cuts visibility to 10 metres in parts of Latvia as air turns colder
Dense fog settled over much of Latvia overnight into Monday, especially in the east and along the Daugava, briefly cutting visibility to just 10 metres. It was also the coldest morning recorded since spring.
Thick fog developed across several regions of Latvia overnight into Monday, according to data compiled by the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVĢMC). The most severe drop in visibility was recorded at the Dagda observation station, where it fell to just ten metres during the night before improving to 20 metres by 5 a.m.
Fog was also pronounced elsewhere, particularly in the eastern part of the country and areas along the Daugava river. At the same 5 a.m. reading, visibility at stations in Daugavpils, Gulbene, Jelgava, Rēzekne and Zīlāni ranged between 150 and 340 metres.
Sharp temperature contrasts
Air temperatures in the early morning varied widely across the country, ranging from +2.3 degrees in Zosēni to +10.4 degrees in Daugavgrīva. This morning became the coldest recorded in Latvia since spring.
Most of the country continued to see clear skies with no precipitation. A light southeasterly wind was blowing, though many areas experienced calm conditions. Air quality was rated good, while relative humidity reached 95-100% across most of the territory.
In Riga, fog was observed in some areas, with a light southeasterly wind. The temperature stood at +4 degrees at the airport and +9 degrees in the city centre.
On Sunday, before the foggy night set in, the day's maximum temperatures at LVĢMC stations ranged from +15.3 degrees in Zosēni to +18.3 degrees in Dobele.
For comparison, the highest temperature recorded in Europe on 27 September was +37 degrees in Spain, while the lowest overnight reading, -4 degrees, was recorded in the mountains of Bulgaria.
