‘Climate change leading to extreme weather events in Türkiye’

ISTANBUL

The climate changes caused by the decrease in water resources, pollution and destruction of nature are causing many extreme weather events, which have increased at record levels in the last eight years nationwide, according to meteorological reports.

The extreme weather events broke records in all years after 2015 and have been increasing since 2018 in Türkiye, reports say.

According to the two-month reports of 2023, extreme drought data in a significant part of the country has drawn attention.

Extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and floods, storms, hail, forest fires, snow, avalanches, lightning strikes, drought, frost, landslides, tornadoes, fog and sandstorms caused the loss of both life and property in many regions of Türkiye.

The report stated that extreme weather events, especially after 2018, increased gradually and exceeded 750 yearly. In 2021 and 2022, there were over 1000 meteorological disasters.

Precipitation in the first two months of 2023 was well below seasonal norms.

The average temperature for February, which was 4.1 degrees Celcius between 1991 and 2020, dropped by 0.7 degrees to 3.4 degrees in February 2023.

Regionwide precipitation was below season norms in all regions except the Black Sea, Eastern Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia regions.

Regionally, precipitation decreased 46 percent in Marmara compared to seasonal norms and 67 percent compared to February 2022.

In the Aegean, it decreased by 82 percent compared to seasonal norms and 84 percent compared to last year.