People sunbathe in south while north freezes

ANTALYA

With the cold weather showing its effects in the country, snowfall has been observed in many provinces whereas people in the southern province of Antalya have enjoyed the warmth of spring by sunbathing.

The first snow of the season fell on the high parts of the province of Tekirdağ after the meteorologists warnings for the Marmara Region. The precipitation in the high parts of the city, where the air temperature is 0 degrees at night, lost its effect on early Dec. 21.

According to the data from the Turkish State Meteorological Service, the lowest temperature of Dec. 20 was recorded in the northwestern province of Bolu. In the high parts of the city, mountainous areas were covered with snow.

The air temperature in Kartalkaya district was recorded as minus 10.2 degrees Celsius. The second coldest place in the country was Palovit Plateau in the Black Sea province of Rize’s Çamlıhemşin district at minus 10 degrees. Ilgaz ski resort of the northern province of Kastamonu and İkizdere district of Rize followed with minus 9.8 degrees.

Separately, the neighboring province of Trabzon’s Uzungöl, a lake which is reminiscent of the Swiss Alps with its location surrounded by mountains and dense forests that are home to lush green trees, was covered with snow.

Meanwhile, enjoying the sunny weather in Antalya, some of the holidaymakers sunbathed while some went into the sea. In the tourism city where the air temperature was 19 degrees and the sea water temperature was 20 degrees, Konyaaltı beach was completely full. Fishermen, hikers and bikers also accompanied them on the coastline.

The 12th hottest October in the last 52 years was experienced in the country, according to the October 2022 temperature report of the bureau.

The average temperature in October for many years was 15.6 degrees, while it changed to 16.3 degrees this year.

In October, the lowest temperature was observed in the eastern province of Erzurum at minus 8.8 degrees, while the highest temperature was seen in Antalya at a record-breaking temperature of 41.2 degrees. The 50-degree difference between the two provinces drew attention.

On the other hand, compared to the 1991-2020 average temperatures, Bolu also observed temperatures below the seasonal norm in October.

However, the most noticeable difference was experienced in the Mediterranean, where the average temperature for October was 19.4 degrees for a long time. The average temperature for October this year increased to 20.4 degrees in the region.