Rare tornado hits Istanbul

ISTANBUL

A rare tornado hit eastern Istanbul on June 19, in the latest example of extraordinary weather conditions hitting the city.

Heavy rain and hail affected the daily life of citizens in the evening hours, with officials warning that 50 kilograms of rain per square meter were expected.

A tornado over the Marmara Sea passed through the Pendik and Tuzla neighborhoods in eastern Istanbul and reached Kocaeli province. Images of the tornado were widely shared on Turkish social media. 

Tuzla hortum https://t.co/m9NPjM0Hys @vineapp aracılığıyla

— ozgunalemdag (@ozgunalemdag) June 19, 2014

No damage was immediately reported in Istanbul.

Tornados are occassionaly seen in southern Turkey, but very rarely in Istanbul.

After an extremely arid spring, unusually heavy rain hit Istanbul on June 2, causing local flooding and creating remarkable scenes, photos of which went viral on social media.