RIGA, (AFP) - Latvia's ports shut down and emergency services were on alert Thursday amid winds of up to 112 kilometers per hour (70 miles per hour) and rain that caused flooding along the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.

The western Latvian port of Ventspils, the biggest export route for Russian crude oil and oil products in the Baltic Sea, closed to traffic, as did the port in the capital Riga, the Riga port authority said. Flooding was reported in lower-lying areas of Riga and falling trees damaged several homes, the national fire and rescue service said. The port in the western city of Liepaja was shut down due to winds, municipal spokeswoman Gundiga Jakobsone said. Schools had also been closed and residents urged to stay indoors.