Türkiye shivers as brutal cold front locks nation in icy embrace

ISTANBUL

A relentless Arctic cold wave has gripped Türkiye, blanketing vast regions in deep snow and turning roads, cities, and countryside into a frozen, treacherous landscape of ice and whiteouts, with sub-zero temperatures locking much of the country in its icy hold.

Meteorological records reveal temperatures plummeting below zero across 70 of the country’s 81 provinces and reaching a bone-chilling low of minus 19.9 degrees Celsius in the eastern city of Van’s Çaldıran district.

Following days of persistent snowfall, Istanbul also awoke to a treacherous, ice-slicked mornings as the winter chill solidified its hold on the city.

Morning readings revealed a biting wind chill that made temperatures feel like minus 5 degrees, leaving side streets and secondary roads glazed in a dangerous layer of ice.

Abdullah Macit, a weather forecast expert, said Istanbul, along with Türkiye’s two other major cities, are set for a temporary reprieve as temperatures rise leading up to Jan. 18.

In Istanbul, the mercury is expected to climb between 10 degrees and 12 degrees over the next two days accompanied by rain, though a new cooling trend will take hold starting on Jan. 18.

While the capital Ankara must first endure a bitter Jan. 14 morning as the mercury plunges to minus 5 degrees, both daytime and nighttime readings in the capital will begin an upward trend thereafter, according to Macit.

Meanwhile, the western city of İzmir is forecasted to remain dry and significantly warmer, reaching up to 16 degrees.

This warming trend across the western cities is expected to persist until Jan. 18, when a fresh decline in temperatures will sweep back across the region.

While western Türkiye braces for a relatively mild stretch, eastern provinces are set to endure a brutal and far more dangerous deep freeze.

Forecasts indicate that the mercury will plummet to staggering lows of minus 20 degrees to minus 24 degrees later this week.

Precipitation is set to persist through Jan. 15 and 16 across the Black Sea, northeastern Central Anatolia and the eastern reaches of Eastern Anatolia, with coastal areas seeing mostly rain while inland regions face expected snowfall.

"Especially after precipitation ends, icing and frost becomes more apparent in the interior and eastern parts of the country,” Macit said, pointing to a heightened risk for travelers and residents alike.

There is also an ongoing avalanche risk in the interior parts of the eastern Black Sea region and the higher elevations of eastern Anatolia, the expert warned.