Rainfalls and flooding hit Ankara as expert warns of new downpours

ISTANBUL

Heavy rainfall in Turkey’s capital Ankara on June 11 led to flooding that killed one person, authorities said.

Search and rescue teams located the body of the 27-year-old man İlkay Yiğit, who worked as a bus driver, local media outlets
reported.

Turkey’s Interior Ministry spokesman İsmail Çataklı said earlier that authorities received a tip that one person was missing in the storm. There were 44 search and rescue personnel along with Ankara’s fire department dispatched to the area. The man’s body was found near a riverbed among tree branches.

‘Yellow alert’ issued for 37 provinces

According to local media, Yiğit was also a deputy director of the youth branch of main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the Mamak district.

Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavaş tweeted that 35 people had been rescued. He reported flooding in 300 locations, 35 fallen trees and the collapse of 23 roofs and three utility poles. More than 3,000 staff were continuing work in the affected areas.

The risk of further flooding has not passed for the capital and some other cities as the State Meteorological Service announced “yellow alert” for some 37 out of the 81 provinces.

The 37 provinces are located in the country’s northern, northwestern and central parts. A “yellow alert” is issued when there is a “potential threat by a weather event.”

“The temperatures will be between 3 and 6 degrees Celsius below the season norms,” the service said and added: “All regions except the southeastern provinces may witness heavy precipitation, rainfalls, downpours and thunder-boomers.”

Prominent Turkish meteorologist Orhan Şen warned the residents of Ankara for the coming week. “The temperatures nosedived by 5 degrees Celsius in the capital. There may be a new wave of precipitation in June 13 [today] and 14 [tomorrow],” he noted.

According to the expert, with the start of the new week, Istanbul will “welcome sunny weather” with only risks of rainfall today and on June 15.