Istanbul welcomes rainfall as dams dry up

ISTANBUL

Istanbul’s almost five-week longing for rain ended, as a prominent meteorologist has heralded amid the concerns rekindled after the capacity rates of Kazandere, Pabuçdere and Istrancalar dams, which meet a significant part of the city’s water needs fell below 25 percent.

The capacity rate of the dams in the neighboring province of Kırklareli’s Vize district, which was around 50 percent in September, fell to 17 percent in Kazandere and 23 percent in Istrancalar, according to the data of the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ).

While the average capacity rate of the 10 dams that meet the water needs of Istanbul decreased to 36 percent, the Pabuçdere Dam, whose water level decreased to 3.35 percent, came to the point of drying.

The lowest level of recent years has been experienced in dams, said Lokman Hakan Tecer, a professor from Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University. “We consider that this is directly related to the global climate change that occurs as a result of environmental problems.”

“We will experience the effects of drought in agricultural and industrial production in a very dramatic way as we continue to release carbon emissions and increase the concentrations of greenhouse gases that cause climate change,” he said.

It is necessary to put forward a vital transformation that will not be affected by drought, and to develop plans, projects and strategies in this regard in agriculture and industry, he suggested.

Meanwhile, Istanbul will witness rainfall after 32 days, Orhan Şen said.

After the rain that will be effective in the whole of Marmara, the temperature in Istanbul will rise to 22 degrees Celsius at the weekend with the effect of the southwester, he added.

Meteorologists also declared “yellow alert” warning for 11 provinces, mostly in the south of the country, warning citizens to be careful and cautious against the possibilities such as floods, lightning, landslides, and strong winds.

Torrential rains are also expected to be strong in Eastern Mediterranean, Southeastern Anatolian and some Central Anatolian provinces.