Heavy summer rain takes over Istanbul

Heavy rainfall hit Istanbul beginning from the early hours of July 18, paralyzing daily life and causing floods.

Millions of locals in Istanbul struggled and waded to work in the morning after early-morning thunderstorms boomed over the city, dumping torrents of rain and swamping transport networks.        

Istanbul's Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) warned of flood risk across the city.

Following a couple of hours, flash flooding saw main roads turned into rivers, with many soaked commuters forced to abandon submerged vehicles.        

Several underpasses, intersections and some metro and bus stops were closed, leaving thousands of pedestrians stranded.

Drenched commuters could be seen wringing out wet clothes or going barefoot after abandoning sodden footwear.

Some metro stations were flooded as public transportation came to a near halt.

A metro line running from Atatürk International Airport on the city's European side was flooded, and similar scenes were recorded at the Eurasia (Avrasya) road tunnel, which was opened in December 2016.      

The Istanbul Municipality announced that transportation on the Eurasia Tunnel was temporarily suspended due to heavy rainfall. The two-way tunnel was opened around noon on the same day. 

The province's tram service between the districts Bağcılar and Kabataş was also suspended. 

The Istanbul Governor's Office also urged to leave their vehicles at home where possible, to prevent further road problems.     
   
Many buildings and offices were flooded as swirling waters tore down trees and utility poles. A number of minor traffic accidents have been recorded so far.

Many of Istanbul's 15-million-strong population rely on...