Snow warning issued for Istanbul

Istanbul Governor's Office has urged people living in the metropolis to avoid going outside unless necessary in a written statement, citing the expectation of heavy snowfall lasting from noon on Dec. 30 until early Jan. 2, 2016.

"The snowfall expected to start in the noon hours on Dec. 30 is estimated to continue until the early hours of Saturday [Jan. 2, 2016] upon the weather estimate report by the Turkish State Meteorological Service," the governor's office warned in a statement released on its website on Dec. 29.

The governor's office said the temperature is estimated to fall by 8 to 12 Fahrenheit (4.5 to 6.6 Celsius), warning of heavy snowfall, icy conditions and even blizzards.

"It is vital for the elderly, pregnant women, children and people with heart and lung diseases to not go outside as medical staff recommended," the governor's office warned, urging people living in the metropolis to well cover themselves up accordingly for the weather conditions.

The warning came a day after the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (?BB) announced it had been taking measures to ensure safe transportation in the city during the expected heavy snowfall.

The ?BB released a special briefing explaining the measures taken to counter the negative effects of snowy weather. 

According to the statement, the municipality has spared 1114 vehicles and heavy machinery to be operated by some 5,450 personnel along 4,000 kilometers of road. 

The municipality also designated 360 routes for intervention while the disaster coordination center will track all vehicles with a vehicle tracking system. A total of 26 strategic locations along primary transportation routes have been identified as points of entry and exit to be used in...