Istanbul to witness snowfall on weekend

ISTANBUL

Meteorologists have warned for heavy precipitation in most of Anatolia throughout the week, with heavy storms on the weekdays and a snowy weekend for Istanbul.

“Snowfalls will begin in Central Anatolia on Dec. 16. The regions of Marmara and the western part of the Black Sea will witness a snowy weekend,” prominent meteorologist Orhan Şen wrote on his Twitter account on Dec. 14.

He warned the residents of Istanbul to take measures as the temperature will decline on Dec. 17 by 6 degrees Celsius. “There will be snowfalls at the high points of the metropolis,” he highlighted.

The Turkish State Meteorological Service also issued a statement on Dec. 14, warning over the precipitation accumulation in most of the western provinces and heavy fogs in the eastern provinces.

“Rainfalls will occur throughout the week across the country with downpours in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions,” it said in a statement.

The service especially pointed out the risk of heavy storms in the southern province of Antalya. “The people in Antalya may face floods, thunderbolts, toppling of trees, blowing away of roofs, or any other dangerous weather incidents,” it said.

The foggy weather put traffic in jeopardy in the southeastern provinces of Mardin, Diyarbakır and Batman as the visibility distance decreased to 10 meters. All flights were canceled in these cities.

The reason for this temperature decline is the “mass of cold air from the Balkans,” according to Şen.

“This weather event will decrease the temperature in the western and the central part of the country,” he said. “The inhabitants of Istanbul should be prepared for floods.”