Heavy rains leave country’s west following windstorm

ISTANBUL

In the wake of landslides, tornadoes and large tides, heavy rains and gusty winds that swept through many parts of Türkiye are expected to leave the country’s west, says an expert.

"Heavy rains are leaving the western regions. There is intermittent precipitation in the eastern parts of Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia and in the inner parts of the Eastern Black Sea region," said weather forecaster Mehmet Özdemirci from the Turkish State Meteorological Service.

Similarly, Istanbul’s disaster coordination center (AKOM) announced that the rainfall affecting Istanbul will continue intermittently until the evening, but it is then expected to leave the region. Air temperatures will increase and will be seen around 25 degrees Celsius throughout the week.

During the downpour that has been effective throughout the province, precipitation between 15 and 50 kilograms per square meter was recorded in different parts of Istanbul, while this value reached 75 kilograms in the forested areas of Çatalca, according to the center.

As a result, a landslide occurred in Istanbul’s Gaziosmanpaşa neighborhood, which led to the evacuation of 30 houses and 114 people.

The bureau had issued warnings for 45 of the country’s 81 provinces, cautioning about strong winds and stormy weather. Many western provinces were affected by the windstorm.

In İzmir, the downpour and strong winds continued from night into day and a tornado formed in the Foça district on the morning of April 20. In Bursa’s Gemlik district, a wall collapsed, injuring two people and damaging two cars.

A hotel roof blew off in Denizli Kale district and two cars were damaged by flying debris. Similar scenes played out in other areas, with winds damaging tobacco fields and knocking down trees.

Meanwhile, rain and strong winds reaching 118 kilometers per hour caused giant waves in Antalya.