Meteorological summer starts when the average daily air temperature does not fall below +15 degrees for five consecutive days, counting from the first of these days.
In Rucava, the meteorological summer started already on April 29, as the daily average air temperature exceeded +15 degrees from April 29 to May 4.
On May 15 , the average temperature was at least +15 degrees at several observation stations, but the country as a whole was a bit short of this mark, so May 16 could be the start of the meteorological summer in Latvia.
Temperatures of +25 C are forecast this weekend, with cooler weather possible next week. Temporary rain is expected in places, with more widespread precipitation forecast from Sunday.
The earliest date on which meteorological summer started nationwide is May 9, 2018. Meteorological summer usually starts in the first half of June.
Last year, Riga broke the record for the longest meteorological summer - it started in the capital on May 11 and ended only on October 3, bringing the length of the meteorological summer to 146 days. The national average meteorological autumn in 2023 also started on October 4, beating the record for the start of late autumn by 17 days.
The solar summer, or the lightest quarter of the year, began in early May and will end in early August, while the astronomical summer this year will arrive on June 20 at 23:50, the solstice.
