Istanbul braces for new round of flooding

ISTANBUL

Istanbul is bracing for another round of heavy rainfall on Oct. 27, with Türkiye’s meteorological authority warning of possible flash floods and inundations in the city and other parts of western Türkiye, less than two weeks after torrential downpours killed eight people in Istanbul and the neighboring province of Kocaeli.

The Turkish State Meteorological Service forecast heavy showers and thunderstorms across western parts of the country throughout the week, with temperatures expected to fall below seasonal averages in some areas.

Abdullah Macit, a weather forecasting expert, said heavy rainfall was expected on Oct. 27 in the Marmara region, including Istanbul, Çanakkale, Tekirdağ and Bursa, as well as parts of the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.

Rainfall is also expected to affect southern parts of İzmir, Antalya and Muğla, along with eastern areas of Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay.

Macit warned that the downpours could cause flooding and inundation, urging residents to take precautions. He said Istanbul was expected to remain dry on Oct. 26 and 28, but face heavy showers on Oct. 27.

Temperatures in Istanbul are forecast to drop to around 15 degrees Celsius on Oct. 27 before rising to approximately 19 degrees in the following days.

The meteorological service also expects heavy rainfall in parts of the Aegean and Mediterranean regions. Showers are forecast to be particularly intense in İzmir, Muğla, Aydın and western Antalya, with very heavy to torrential rain possible in parts of Muğla and Aydın.

The agency issued an orange-coded heavy rainfall warning, indicating a high risk of dangerous weather conditions for Aydın and Muğla, and a yellow-coded warning, signaling potentially hazardous conditions that require caution, for Antalya, Denizli and İzmir.

In the capital Ankara, showers and thunderstorms are expected from Oct. 27, accompanied by falling temperatures that could dip below seasonal norms in some areas.

The latest warnings come after torrential rainfall on Oct. 14 set an 84-year precipitation record in Istanbul, killing seven people in the city and one in neighboring Kocaeli. The downpours flooded roads, underpasses, homes and businesses, while vehicles were swept away by floodwaters.

Schools were closed from Oct. 15 as a precaution and reopened on Oct. 19, following the deadly flooding.

Authorities have advised residents in regions expected to see heavy rainfall to exercise caution against flash flooding and water pooling, especially in vulnerable urban zones.