Gediminas Hill closed until Monday as downpours expected

As forecasters warn of downpours in Vilnius, the Lithuanian Culture Ministry has decided to close the capital's Gediminas Hill for visitors until next Monday due to a risk of further landslides.

The hill's slopes and the site of archaeological excavations on the top of the mound have been covered with a special waterproof cover as the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service forecasts that rainfall intensity will reach 23 millimeters per hour in Vilnius on Thursday.

Small cracks were detected on the hillside after Tuesday's heavy downpour in the capital.

According to the ministry, repair works on the northern flank of the hill were started earlier this month and are scheduled to be completed in the second half of 2018. A project for fixing the southeastern flank is being worked out and is to be presented to the public in September.