Heavy rainfall, flash floods grip Istanbul

Heavy rain and flooding wreaked havoc in Istanbul, Türkiye's largest city, hitting the north of the province particularly hard on Aug. 27.

Istanbul Municipality's Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) and the General Directorate of Meteorology consecutively alerted Istanbulites with a "yellow code" warning, indicating that while the anticipated weather conditions are not uncommon, they pose potential hazards that should be closely monitored.

Following the issued warnings, water covered the streets in some parts of the province, with torrential rain prevailing in the city. The heavy downpour was seen in some areas in the morning hours and expanded to a large number of districts as the day progressed.

In the historic neighbourhood of Sultanahmet, citizens sought refuge in tram stops, as the heavy rainfall formed puddles on the roads.

One of Istanbul's most popular tourist destinations, the Spice Bazaar - also known as the Egyptian Bazaar - in Eminönü, was inundated as a result of the downpour, with both tradespeople and visitors facing obstacles.

The deluge also hit the city's renowned Taksim Square, resulting in Istiklal Avenue being filled with floodwaters.

The meteorology's most recent prediction report indicated that the yellow code alert for Istanbul had ended, however, the same alert was issued for 10 other provinces in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions.