Weather Locations in Laos

Laos Weather Overview

Latvia is located in Northern Europe upon the coasts of the Baltic Sea. Lying south of Estonia, north of Lithuania and to the west of Belarus and Russia, Lativa is a country of the north and a country that has really put its self on the map in recent years as travellers are beginning to venture slightly off the beaten track in terms of travel destinations. The conditions here can see either ends of extreme as winters get blistering cold, summers can rise to great highs and relative humidity is high throughout the year.

Latvia has come a long way in the last 15 years, and during the Soviet period, (ending in 1991) Latvia underwent heavy industrialisation, experiencing a big influx of immigrants, mainly from Russia. Latvia claimed its independence in 1991 and Russia withdrew its military forces in 1994. Since then the country has undergone huge transformation, joining NATO and the European Union in 2004 and implementing strict language and citizenship laws.

In 2004 the Government introduced controversial reforms to restrict the use of the Russian language in schools and in 2006 a law was brought it that those who failed a Latvian language test three times will be denied citizenship.

With a lot of recent history under its belt Latvia is a very interesting place to visit. There is the vibrant coastal capital of Riga offering beautiful winding cobblestone streets and Art Nouveau architecture, lying slightly further inland you will find the enchanting city of Sigulda which has long been known locally as the 'Switzerland of Latvia', because its position in the Gauja Valley and the medieval castles which dot across the region

The weather in Latvia is fairly typical of its northerly location, though the climate is moderated a considerable amount by the presence of the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga on its west coast. Conditions increase in extremity the further north that you head and also as you move into the interior of the country and increase distance from the moderating influence of the sea waters.

As a whole the climate in Latvia is largely Continental, Temperate and parts and humid throughout the majority of the country. When on the coast the climate can be described as maritime as well with winters that are slightly milder than other parts of the country. The country sees a large range in annual temperatures, with winters getting particularly cold and summers often seeing highs that are higher than what you would expect for such a northerly location.

You can expect precipitation year round in Lativa, and the most rainfall is generally recorded at the end of summer, throughout the month of August. Summers are generally mild and the warmest months are July and August. Spring and Autumn see conditions that are enjoyable and pleasant though can get quite chilly during the months that hug winter.

Riga is Latvia’s cosmopolitan capital city which lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea in the Gulf of Riga. It sits amongst the fertile low lying Eastern European plain, a plain which is largely covered in pine forests and lush flora and in the midst of the 531km Gulf of Riga coastline.

Riga is home to a northern temperate climate, that sees mild summers and extremely cold winters. The coldest months in Riga are January and February which have an average daily temperature of -6 degrees and see the mercury often falling below a blistering -25 degrees!

Due to the city’s proximity to the sea, when the cold winds from Russia and interior Lativa hit the warming influence of the Sea this creates rains and fogs over the water- particularly noticeable in the Autumn months of September to November.

Summers in Riga are warm and particularly humid. The summer months see an average daily temperature of about 18 degrees, though the mercury has been known to rise well into the 30’s- pushing 36 degrees on many previous occasions.

On the flipside winters can be blistering cold- typical of a continental climate. There is heavy snowfall, and as you move further away from the coast there are parts of Latvia than can see heavy snow cover for up to 80 days of the year.

While Riga is the largest city in Latvia and also the most popular, if you have the time available there are many other beautiful cities to visit across the country. If you want to head inland, then head to the towns of Aluksne and Rezekne which lie in interior Latvia and nearing Russia. If you choose to visit these cities then best organise your trip in the months outside of winter- as they lie further from the Sea they are not subject to the moderating influence so the winter months can see very extreme weather.

You can also visit the towns of Liepaja which lies on the west coast, of Ventapils which sits in a more northerly location on the coast- upon the Irbe Strait.

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