Schools closed in 9 provinces as rain, snow grips Türkiye

ISTANBUL

Türkiye is grappling with extreme weather emergencies as torrential rains once again cause floods in the southern quake-hit province of Hatay’s Iskenderun district, while heavy snowfall forces schools to close in nine out of all 81 provinces in the country.

According to the latest meteorological assessments, the weather is predicted to be partly and very cloudy across Türkiye. Rainfall is expected in Central Anatolia (except Konya and Karaman provinces), Black Sea, Eastern Anatolia (except Malatya), Kocaeli, Sakarya, Bilecik, Diyarbakır, Batman and Siirt provinces.

Precipitation is expected to be in the form of rain around the eastern provinces of Elazığ, Diyarbakır and Batman, and mixed rain and snow in other provinces.

Education in Nevşehir, Gümüşhane, Giresun, Bayburt, Muş and Yozgat provinces was suspended on March 30 due to snowfall.

Schools in some districts of the northern provinces of Ordu, Sivas and Samsun were also suspended for a day due to snowfall.

It was also reported that pregnant and disabled personnel working in public institutions in these regions will also be granted administrative leave.

The harsh weather conditions have paralyzed daily life in many other provinces.

The roof of a school was blown off in a downpour and storm in the southern province of Osmaniye. Two parked cars were damaged as the roof fell over the courtyard. Students who were in class were taken outside in a controlled manner and sent home.

On the other hand, quake survivors’ tents were also affected by the storm. In the Adnan Menderes neighborhood, a tent was blown away as other quake survivors tried to protect their tents by pouring soil around them.

While the wind was effective with the rain in the northwestern province of Zonguldak, giant waves exceeding 7 meters were formed on the shore and spilled into the harbor by crossing the breakwater.

Following meteorological warnings, snowfall was effective at the D-100 and TEM highway crossings of Bolu Mountain. Snow plowing and salting works were carried out by highway teams to prevent snow cover on the roads. The fog was also effective on the route in places as the visibility range dropped to 30 meters due to fog. The Istanbul direction of the road was closed to traffic.

In Patnos district of the eastern province of Ağrı, a tree fell into a schoolyard due to the storm, injuring seven students. The students were treated at Patnos State Hospital and were stated to be in good health.

In Iskenderun, the sea overflowed once again in the storm due to the collapse and liquefaction of the coastline after the earthquakes.

While the coastline and boulevard were flooded, a workplace was submerged in water and a fire broke out due to electrical contact.

A cafe on the coast was also hit by waves as the storm intensified, while severe storms continue to hit the Iskenderun Bay region.