Heavy snowfall cripples life in country

A messy mix of snow and rain wreaked havoc in parts of the country, as roads were closed to traffic in the province in the eastern and southeastern Anatolian region due to heavy snowfall and blizzards causing low visibility.

Transportation was severely disrupted in the provinces of Tunceli, Hakkari, Kars and Sivas, with some vehicles stranded on the roads.

In the southeastern province of Hakkari, roads to 34 villages are inaccessible.

While the intermittent snowfall in the district increased its effect at night, the snow thickness reaching 30 centimeters in the center prompted the municipal teams to take action in Hakkari. The teams who worked hard to open the roads said they were ready 24/7 in case of a negative situation.

In the southeastern province of Tunceli, where snow thickness reached 35 centimeters, 96 village roads were closed. The precipitation that started during the night hours on Dec. 22 in Tunceli led to snow in the higher parts.

There were many accidents on the slippery roads in the northeastern province of Kars due to the sudden onset of heavy snow and blizzard. Drivers had difficulty moving forward with their vehicles, as visibility was reduced.

According to the bureau's forecasts, the weather is expected to be partly and very cloudy with expected rainfall in the eastern Marmara, northern Central Anatolia, Black Sea, northern and eastern parts of Eastern Anatolia, and the eastern parts of Southeastern Anatolia regions.

Prominent meteorologist Orhan Şen warned citizens of the Black Sea region to exercise caution against possible disaster. "The temperature will drop by 5-6 degrees Celsius. The precipitation will be in the form of sleet and snow in the inland regions."