Istanbul was battered by snowfall in the early hours Wednesday, an unusual occurrence for this time of year in the country’s most populated metropolis which has experienced two brief but heavy snow spells over the last two months.
The precipitation first gripped the Asian side of the city before making its way to the European side, bringing the already congested morning traffic to a halt in some places. Although the meteorology forecast had warned about snowfall, most people were expecting it to be a temporary spell, in a month which is usually associated with warm, if not outright hot, weather.
For locals, it was an opportunity to take photos in popular locations blanketed with snow but also an ordeal for motorists. Frustrated drivers had to wait for hours, especially on sections of the D-100 highway on the Asian side. A road connecting Arnavutköy and Hadımköy districts on the European side was closed to traffic when a truck drifting on the icy road overturned. Motorists were stranded for a while as snowplows sent to the area were unable to reach it.
Sudden snowfall also drove more people to the mass transit system, causing crowds at bus stops and Metrobus stations, while the slowed traffic delayed bus services. The Marmaray, an undersea rail service connecting the city’s European and Asian sides, also brimmed with passengers avoiding the traffic on the bridges over the Bosporus. A brief hailstorm also hit some districts.
