Rain, strong winds disrupt daily life in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Heavy rainfall disrupted daily life in Istanbul with strong winds taking over the Turkish metropolis as the Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS) issued “yellow” and “orange” alerts in 54 more provinces.

Istanbul was battered by downpours after a precipitous weather hailing from the Balkans that loomed over the city.

No adverse events such as flooding were recorded yet in Istanbul, which has a population of over 16 million population, but traffic was tied up on the main roads of the city when people were rushing to work.

Pedestrians sought shelter in bus stops and under shop awnings while some exerted efforts to clear clogged drains.

Certain points of the streets also turned into garbage dumps of damaged umbrellas that were turned upside down due to the strong winds.

The temperatures are expected to drop by eight degrees Celsius in areas with rainfall that is expected to turn into sleet later.

Meanwhile, meteorologists warned that heavier precipitation was on its way for the coming days during the week.