Starting late Saturday, Turkey’s Istanbul is expected to succumb to cold temperatures and heavy snowfall, according to weather forecasts.
Higher grounds on the city’s Asian and European sides were covered with a thin blanket of snow on Friday though it was later melted by drizzle. The adverse weather led to traffic jams in some places during the morning rush hour.
The Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS) says snowfall will continue for at least five days. Severe winter conditions will replace a 10-day dry, relatively warm spell in the city. Temperatures already significantly dropped on Friday and are expected to decrease further late Saturday. From Sunday to Thursday, snowfall is forecast to envelop the city. Though some experts rule out an all-out winter, the weather patterns show harsh conditions for several days. On Sunday, temperatures will drop below zero at most and will get colder on Tuesday and Wednesday. Forecasts show little change in temperatures until Thursday and a lasting snowfall throughout the first four days of next week.
Istanbul’s governorate urged motorists not to drive unless necessary and said in a statement that crews would be deployed around the clock to respond to any problems related to bad weather. “Citizens should heed the advice of authorities against cold weather, snowfall and icy roads,” the governorate urged. It also called on the public to call emergency hotlines to report any homeless person at-risk from bad weather.
