Turkish State Meteorological Service

With rains and thunderstorms expected to batter the country in the days ahead, the Turkish State Meteorological Service has declared a "yellow and orange alert" for 16 out of all 81 provinces, mostly in the east, while heavy rains will continue to pound Istanbul and its neighboring cities.

Torrential rains are expected across the country for three days, especially in the eastern provinces, while the southern provinces affected by the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes will also witness strong precipitation and dust transport, according to the latest weather report of the Turkish State Meteorological Service.

As the Balkans winds have broken the warm winter spell in the country, Istanbul is likely to receive heavy snowfall on the weekend, meteorologists have said, adding that the Siberian cold wave will also hit the country as of Feb. 5.

Many provinces have welcomed the snowfall with joy though it has disrupted daily life and made transportation difficult, as the country has been waiting for months amid the driest winter in recent years.

The hottest day in Türkiye in 2022 was on July 15 in the southeastern province of Şırnak's Silopi district at 47.9 degrees, the Turkish State Meteorological Service has said in its latest report.

The bureau published a report indicating meteorological extreme values of the province and districts in 2022.

Heavy rain and storm disrupted traffic and paralyzed daily life in the southern province of Antalya on Jan. 11.

Antalya, one of the 11 provinces for which the Turkish State Meteorological Service issued an "orange alert," has been seriously affected by torrential rain and storms since Jan. 11.

Meteorologists have issued a torrential rain warning for some western provinces while expecting strong storms in the country's south.

The country's eastern provinces have been battling heavy snowfall that has already blocked roads in remote regions, as snow depth exceeds 20 centimeters in the high-altitude sites of Van and Erzurum.

As Turkish State Meteorological Service announces that last December was the warmest one experienced in the past 52 years, Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum calls on citizens to "do their bit."

As a cold spell takes its toll in the country, the Turkish State Meteorological Service has issued a "yellow alert" for 18 of Türkiye's 81 provinces, with the Black Sea and Eastern Anatolia regions likely to witness sleet and occasional snowfall the coming weekend.