Orange weather warning issued as heavy rain and storm winds forecast for Saturday

Orange weather warning issued as heavy rain and storm winds forecast for Saturday Environment Agency forecasts heavy rain, thunderstorms and wind gusts up to 20 meters per second over the weekend. Difficult weather conditions may lead to trees and branches breaking and cause power outages, grid operator Elektrilevi warns. On Saturday afternoon and evening, heavy rainfall will spread across Estonia, with thunderstorms in places and wind strengthening in many areas with gusts of 15–20 meters per second. On Sunday, the risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms remains in many places, and rainy weather will continue at the beginning of next week. Heavy rain and wind gusts may break trees and branches and cause power outages in some areas. Over a 24-hour period, rainfall totals of 50-70 millimeters are expected, with up to 90 millimeters in some areas. "Elektrilevi is closely monitoring the weekend weather conditions, and our control center and volunteer crisis reserve are ready to respond to possible faults with increased capacity. We recommend people stay indoors when the weather worsens, charge phones and power banks in advance, and stock up on necessary drinking water and food at home," said Elektrilevi board chairman Mihkel Härm. More detailed guidance can be found in the power outage instructions on Olevalmis.ee. Elektrilevi asks that all power outages be reported through the MARU app. This allows fast information exchange between the customer and Elektrilevi during electrical faults. Current information on the number and locations of outages can be followed on Elektrilevi's outage map. The Rescue Board has issued a dangerous storm warning. During heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds, stay indoors if possible and keep pets inside as well. Avoid unnecessary driving. If driving is unavoidable, choose a speed suitable for the weather conditions and be aware of trees, branches and other obstacles that may fall onto the road. Stay away from fallen power lines and report them to Elektrilevi's fault line at 1343. During thunderstorms, avoid open areas and stay away from bodies of water and isolated tall trees. In a power outage, use a battery‑powered flashlight as a light source, not candles. -- Editor: Marko Tooming, Argo Ideon