Türkiye braces for cold, rainy weather during Eid holiday

ANKARA

Türkiye is set to experience unseasonably cold and rainy weather throughout the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday, the festival marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as a sweeping cold front is expected to push temperatures well below seasonal averages.

According to the Turkish State Meteorological Service, a cold front will begin affecting the country from the western regions starting March 18, gradually spreading nationwide.

Rainy and chilly weather is expected to dominate both the eve of the holiday on March 19 and the three-day Eid period from March 20 to 22.

Precipitation will mostly take the form of rain and showers, with thunderstorms likely along coastal areas. In inland highlands and eastern regions, precipitation may fall as sleet or snow.

Temperatures, which have recently hovered around or slightly above seasonal norms, are forecast to drop several degrees below average during the holiday period.

On the eve of Eid, most of the country is expected to see rainfall, with the exception of some western and northeastern coastal provinces, including İzmir and Aydın in the west and Trabzon, Rize and Artvin in the Black Sea.

Rainy conditions are expected to continue on the first, second and third day of Eid across most regions.

In the capital Ankara, the weather is expected to be partly to mostly cloudy with intermittent rain throughout the holiday.

In Istanbul, similar conditions are forecast, with frequent showers and temperatures ranging between 6 and 13 degrees during the holiday period.

Authorities advise travelers to prepare for wet and colder-than-usual conditions during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.