Storms bring Turkey to a halt

ISTANBUL - Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

Strong winds and storms hit locations across Turkey last night, hampering sea transportation and forcing schools to close their doors for today.

The winds started around 3 a.m. in Istanbul and lasted throughout the night, ripping off the roofs of houses and uprooting trees. Giant waves hit shores, with Ortaköy and Sarayburnu suffering heavily from the bad weather.

The roof of a five-story building in the European-side district of Kağıthane was also blown off, crashing into a nearby building before falling off and damaging two vehicles. Authorities closed the street in response. No casualties were reported, but cars and buildings were heavily damaged.

A tree was also uprooted in Fatih, landing on a three-story building. No casualties were reported, but cars and buildings were heavily damaged.   

Storms paralyze life across Turkey

İzmir was also hit hard with the winds as houses were flooded and traffic was brought to a halt. Sea transportation also suffered from the strong winds as all forms of sea transportation were canceled in several cities, including Istanbul.

Fishing boats sank around the Aegean district of Bodrum as waves reached around five meters high. Boat trips to and from Bodrum were consequently canceled.

The storm knocked the roof off a school building in Düzce in the evening hours, harming the solar energy mechanism placed on the roof. Authorities were immediately sent to the site.

The winds tipped over a family vehicle on the Karaman – Mersin highway as well, wounding all three on board. In a separate incident, an event tent collapsed in Konya, wounding 17 of the event’s guests. Some 15 of the wounded were treated at the site.

Schools in the western Black Sea province of Bartın were also closed down today due to the continuing bad weather.