Beachfront areas in Rīga are impacted by wind damage
Riga, Latvia, is currently dealing with the aftermath of strong winds and waves that have caused significant damage to its official swimming areas. The affected areas include the beaches of Riga Bay, with huge sand dunes being blown up at the approaches to the swimming areas and sunbathing areas by the water's edge still submerged.
The Riga City Council is actively managing the situation, ensuring the safety and quality of the swimming areas for the 2025 season. The Council has assessed the Housing and Environment Department for any damage, and clean-up work is ongoing and scheduled to be completed by 3 July.
The clean-up work involves removing damaged structures such as double beach benches, changing rooms, and wooden walkways that have been broken into pieces and buried in sand. It's important to note that changing cabins have sunk into wet sand, which adds to the extent of the damage.
Despite the challenges, the Council is urging people to use the alternative official bathing areas, which are located in the Daugava River or at Bābelītis Lake. The presence of Blue Flag sites, such as Daugavgrīva, Vakarbuļļi, Vecāķi, Rumbula, and Bābelītis, suggests ongoing compliance with environmental and safety standards, even amidst the recent weather-related challenges.
The Council is also leveraging technology to aid in the recovery and maintenance efforts. Geographic and spatial data related to Riga's swimming areas are being integrated into GIS platforms like ArcGIS Living Atlas, enabling improved planning, monitoring, and public communication about site conditions.
No recent public reports indicate permanent closure of the official swimming areas, implying that recovery and upkeep plans are in place to restore any damaged sections promptly once conditions allow. The Council remains committed to maintaining these public amenities and ensuring a safe and enjoyable swimming season for all.
[1] Riga City Municipality, (2025). Riga's Swimming Areas. Retrieved from https://www.rigas.lv/en/swimming-areas
- The Riga City Council is implementing recovery plans for the damaged infrastructure at Riga's official swimming areas in preparation for the 2025 season, with the aim of ensuring safety and quality.
- The Council is utilizing environmental-science and weather-forecasting to better understand the impact of climate-change on Riga's swimming areas and plans to integrate this data into GIS platforms like ArcGIS Living Atlas for improved management.
- Despite the urgent need for clean-up and repairs in the wake of the recent weather events, the Council encourages residents and tourists to utilize alternative official bathing areas, such as those in the Daugava River or at Bābelītis Lake, which meet environmental and safety standards.
- The media plays an important role in communicating site conditions and recovery efforts to the public, helping to ensure that people are aware of the Council's efforts to maintain and restore Riga's public swimming amenities.
