Heavy rainfall, strong winds disrupt daily life in Turkey’s northwest

ISTANBUL/ÇANAKKALE

Turkey’s northwestern region has enjoyed a relatively warm weather free of precipitation over the past few weeks, but a cold spell, accompanied by heavy downpours and strong winds, has returned.

Istanbul, a metropolis with more than 16 million population, was battered by heavy rainfall in the early hours of April 8 following warnings from the meteorological authority and experts.

The Turkish State Meteorological Service had issued a statement at the beginning of the week, warning of a drop of up to 10 degrees Celsius in temperatures.

The precipitation first gripped the Asian side of the city before making its way to the European side, bringing the already congested morning traffic to a halt in some places.

Minor car accidents occurred across the city, but no casualties or significant damage was reported.

Pedestrians in Istanbul also got their share from the strong winds, turning the edges of the sidewalks into damaged umbrella dump.

While strong winds affected the provinces with a coast to the Sea of Marmara and the northern Aegean province of Çanakkale, maritime public transport was suspended temporarily.

A strong northeastern storm on the northern coasts of the Aegean Sea caused the suspension of ferry services from Çanakkale to its Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos) islands.

Experts said that starting next week, the temperatures will gradually increase and weather conditions will be seen according to the seasonal conditions.