Heavy rain causes flooding across Turkey

ISTANBUL

Turkey has been hit by heavy rains across several provinces over the weekend, with the General Directorate of Meteorology issuing a warning early on June 17 against flooding.

The rain in Istanbul inundated roads, causing havoc in the city. Some cars were even submerged in torrential downpours that followed lightning flashes across the city.

İncirli underpass in Istanbul’s Bakırköy district was submerged under water, with firefighters running to help people stuck in their cars.

The General Directorate of Meteorology said early on June 17 in its warning that the thundery showers would continue for at least three hours in Istanbul. It called on citizens to be careful and take measures against possible “flash flooding” in its statement.

In the western province of Düzce, flash rain has paralyzed traffic on June 16, causing floods in many areas of the capital city Düzce. In the Çakırlar neighborhood, some trees collapsed, blocking roads. Düzce municipality officials cut the fallen trees into pieces and cleared them off the roads.

Many farmlands were hit by hail and whirlwinds in the Mediterranean province of Antalya on June 16, especially in the Demre, Kumluca, and Finike districts.

Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited the farmers in his hometown of Antalya, extending his wishes of recovery on their lands.

“I wish a quick recovery to our farmers who were affected today by the hails and whirlwinds in the districts of Demre, Finik, and Kumluca. We will determine the damage in the fastest time possible and offer support to our farmers,” Çavuşoğlu said on his Twitter account.

Another province that was hit by heavy rains was the Aegean province of Manisa. A four-year-old child was swept away by floodwaters after a torrent in the Selendi district at around 4 p.m. June 16. The search and rescue continued their efforts all night and into the next day on June 17.