One dies in Hatay as rain pounds country

ISTANBUL

Amid heavy torrential rains that have swamped parts of Türkiye and are likely to continue till the end of the week, a man in the southern province of Hatay has lost his life as a retaining wall collapsed on him.

The retaining wall on the roadside, which collapsed due to heavy rainfall in Hatay’s İskenderun district, fell on 61-year-old Bahri Gündüz, who was passing by on his motorcycle, causing his death.

The road was closed to traffic, and an investigation was initiated regarding the incident.

As per the warnings issued by the Turkish State Meteorological Service, heavy rainfalls and downpours have hit western provinces the most.

In rural settlements located between the western province of Çanakkale’s Çan and Biga districts, some agricultural areas were damaged due to heavy rain, storm and hail, while puddles formed on the streets.

In Çanakkale’s neighboring province of Balıkesir, some roads flooded due to the downpour. Some unprepared citizens were caught in the torrential rains and had to wait for it to stop, sheltering themselves under the roofs or overhangs.

Furthermore, in the northwestern province of Tekirdağ’s Muratlı district, the streets and avenues were flooded as cars were stuck on the road and submerged in the flood waters.

According to the latest weather report of the bureau, torrential rains are likely to stay for three more days across the country, especially in the Aegean and Marmara regions.

The torrential rains that started on Aug. 24 are also expected to batter some southern and northern provinces on Aug. 25, while it is estimated that it will occur in the northeastern provinces on Aug. 26 and 27.

Meteorologists earlier declared “yellow” and “orange” alerts for 10 provinces, mostly in the northwest of the country, warning citizens to be careful and practice caution against the possibilities such as floods, lightning, hail and strong winds.

Meanwhile, the air temperatures will be above the seasonal normals in the northern and inner parts of the country and below the seasonal norms in the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts, according to the bureau.

The Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), which also issued a torrential rain warning for 11 provinces on Aug. 23, stated that rains will continue until the end of the week in the country’s largest metropolitan city of Istanbul, warning citizens to be careful and take precautions against the possibilities such as floods, lightning and tornado.

AFAD sent necessary notifications to the governor’s offices in the provinces where heavy rainfall is expected, asking them to keep vehicles, construction equipment and personnel that may be needed in an adverse situation ready and prepare a response plan.

Istanbul’s Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) also issued a rain warning throughout the city on Aug. 23, stating that citizens should be cautious against the expected rains.