Snowfall, heavy rain expected to hit Turkey
ANKARA
Turkey's eastern province of Bitlis
Heavy rain, snowfall and storms will hit Turkey nationwide starting on Dec. 3, the Turkish State Meteorological Service has warned.
“In the coming days, southern and western coasts are expected to be hit by heavy rains, whereas northern, central and eastern regions are forecast to be hit by heavy snowfall,” said Volkan Mutlu Coşkun, the general director of the Turkish State Meteorological Service.
For the capital Ankara, the meteorology service has forecast rain, snowfall and high winds starting from the evening of Dec. 3.
“Our citizens and authorities must be careful and cautious against gas intoxication,” Coşkun stated.
High and central areas of Istanbul are expected to have five to 15 centimeters of snowfall until the beginning of next week, said Coşkun, adding that storms are forecast to hit Istanbul on the evening of Dec. 3.
In the western province of İzmir, heavy rains are expected on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5.
Snowfall and stormy rains will hit central regions’ mountaintops, said Coşku.
Coşku urged citizens and officials to follow the latest developments from the State Meteorological Service’s website in order to take precautions in advance.
Turkey’s east is already struggling with cold weather. The Kars River in the eastern province of Kars, which provides water to a hydroelectric power plant, has frozen at around minus 21 degrees Celsius.
In other eastern provinces of Van, Bitlis and Hakkari, 210 residential areas cannot be reached due to snowstorms, authorities have said.
