Meteorologists warn of torrential rain in northern, central provinces

ISTANBUL

The Turkish State Meteorological Service has declared a “yellow alert” for 11 provinces, mostly in the north and center of the country, against heavy rains, with the temperatures expected to drop as of Sept. 22.

According to the latest evaluations, it is estimated that the Black Sea, Eastern Anatolia and the eastern Mediterranean regions will face torrential rains and thunderstorms.

Meteorologists warned citizens to be careful and cautious against the possibility of floods in the Black Sea provinces of Samsun, Ordu, Tokat, the Eastern Anatolian provinces of Erzincan and its neighboring provinces of Sivas and Tunceli.

Officials said the rains will continue on Sept. 23 in a few provinces in the Marmara, Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea Regions, while the rains will subside in Eastern Anatolia.

While stating that the rains will last until Sept. 24 regionally, the bureau charting the maps indicate that the sun will shine again as of Sept. 25, estimates that the rain will continue only in the Eastern Black Sea Region till the end of the week.

According to the bureau’s five-day forecast report, the air temperatures across the country under the influence of cool and rainy weather for nearly a week will decrease significantly, while it will drop by 2 to 8 degrees Celsius in the northern and inner parts.

While the temperatures in Istanbul are expected to drop to 16 degrees Celsius by Sept. 23, strong winds may batter the capital Ankara and the central Anatolian provinces, the meteorologists said.

The higher parts of the Black Sea region may face sleet, the bureau added.

The bureau also pointed out that the wind will generally blow from the north, lightly from the west and southwest in the Mediterranean coasts, while it will be strong in the Eastern Anatolia.

The “yellow alert” indicates a “potential danger situation” in the weather. Though the predicted event is not unusual, it is used to warn to be careful about activities that may be affected by meteorological conditions.