Latvia Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Riga, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Jelgava, and Jūrmala
Summary
Latvia experienced a moderately warm month, with July average temperatures rising 0.9°C above the 1961–1990 baseline to reach 17.51°C. The May–July season as a whole ranked as the 16th warmest in 87 years of records. Following a dry spring, mid-summer was marked by sudden torrential downpours across western districts, with seasonal forecasts pointing to continued warmth through late summer.
This month in numbers
Latvia's average July temperature settled at 17.51°C, placing it 38th warmest in records dating back to 1940. Over the 3-month May–July period, temperatures averaged 15.5°C, creating a 1.1°C positive anomaly that ranks as the 16th highest on record. Globally, heat reached extreme levels, with the global land temperature hitting 15.8°C for its 3rd warmest July on record. Meanwhile, the May–July global land average of 14.34°C marked the 2nd warmest such period on record.
What changed
The broader seasonal trend highlights persistent mild conditions across the Baltic region, anchored by a warm June that ran 1.9°C above baseline. This fits into Latvia's longer-term trajectory, where temperatures have risen by 2.02°C compared to the late 20th-century norm. Recent years reflect this acceleration, with 2025 ranking as the 4th warmest year on record at 7.97°C, just behind the historic high set in 2024 at 8.71°C. Across 232 monitored regions globally, Latvia ranked 205th for its latest 1-month temperature anomaly, experiencing a much milder atmospheric picture than Western Europe's severe heatwaves.
What’s driving change?
Latvia's long-term climate trajectory is governed by and seasonal shifts, which accelerate warming across northern latitudes and alter traditional weather patterns. Mid-summer atmospheric shifts brought low-pressure troughs that triggered severe downpours and thunderstorms in western regions like Kurzeme, abruptly breaking a prolonged dry spell that had stretched from early spring.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts indicate that temperatures across the Baltic region are likely to remain above long-term averages through late summer and into early autumn.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – Global
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance (countries & continents) · Met Office (UK) · US states & climate regions. Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Latvia
Köppen Dfb · ContinentalLatvia has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 18.1°C, while January is the coldest at -2.4°C. Annual precipitation averages around 640mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Latvia
Right axis: everything else standardized to standard deviations (σ) from its own average, since mm/hours/days aren't directly comparable to °C or to each other.
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Heatwave Days – Latvia
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI heatwave measure: days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Latvia
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Monthly Temperature – Latvia
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Records – Latvia
Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfb · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in Latvia. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (5.3°C, from 1940–1969); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 24.1°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+4.8°C).
Data: Our World in Data / NOAA (precipitation: GPCC (DWD); frost: World Bank CCKP).
Emissions & Energy
Explore
Explore Climate Data
Data Sources
Data Sources for Latvia
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Country-level temperature anomaly, sourced from Copernicus ERA5 and Hadley HadCRUT5.
Annual country and global CO₂ emissions, from the Global Carbon Project.
Monthly rainfall - Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD) preferred, World Bank CCKP/CRU TS fallback where GPCC lacks direct coverage.
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Latvia changing?
Latvia is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Latvia?
Latvia has a continental climate (Köppen Dfb: Humid continental - warm summer), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 18.1°C, while January is the coldest at -2.4°C. Annual precipitation averages around 640mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Latvia come from?
Climate data for Latvia comes from Our World in Data, sourcing Copernicus ERA5 and HadCRUT5 (national temperature anomaly) and the Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data (CO₂ emissions), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Latvia climate data cover?
The Latvia climate profile covers Riga, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Jelgava and surrounding areas. Temperature, rainfall and emissions data for Latvia
How often is the Latvia climate update refreshed?
The Latvia climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Latvia climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Latvia climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.