Turkish State Meteorological Service

Sudden rain hit Turkey's Marmara region, including Istanbul, following a torrential rain warning declared by the Turkish State Meteorological Service for the provinces in the region.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms struck both of Istanbul's European and Asian sides on Sept. 10, slowing life down as the traffic ground to a halt.

The Turkish State Meteorological Service has warned of a new heatwave that will scorch the country, especially the western and the northern parts, from Aug. 27 to the mid-next week.

class='cf'>

"The temperatures will be 4 to 8 degrees Celsius above the seasonal norms," it said in a statement on Aug. 26.

Following the extreme heatwave that affected a significant part of the country for about two weeks, the Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS) has issued a warning for heavy rains expected for the weekend while stressing people to take precautions.

Turkey's northwestern province of Çanakkale broke a 92-year-old "June heat record" with 37.2 degrees Celsius temperature on June 28 as recorded by the Turkish State Meteorological Service.

The last time when the province recorded a temperature as high as 36.8 degrees Celsius was on June 24, 2007.

Last month was the warmest May in the last 51 years in Turkey, according to the country's meteorology department.

The average May temperature in Turkey rose 2.6 degrees Celsius (4.7 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the Turkish State Meteorological Service data, compiled by Anadolu Agency.

The Turkish State Meteorological Service has declared a yellow warning for 22 provinces, including Istanbul and Ankara, for heavy rains expected this week while calling on people to take precautions.

The Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS) has declared a yellow warning for 13 provinces, including Istanbul and Ankara, for heavy rains expected for the next three days while stressing people to take precautions.

Turkey is heading toward farming season under a severe threat of drought, a water report has revealed, noting a 50 percent decrease in the rate of precipitation across the country in April.

"There was 90 percent decline in rainfalls in the Southeastern Anatolia region and some 76 percent decline in Eastern Anatolia in April," said a report published by Water Policy Association.

Various regions of Turkey are experiencing extreme weather conditions this week, with the Turkish State Meteorological Service having warned some Aegean provinces and Istanbul that dust clouds will be heading in from North Africa.

Turkey's northwestern region has enjoyed a relatively warm weather free of precipitation over the past few weeks, but a cold spell, accompanied by heavy downpours and strong winds, has returned.

Istanbul, a metropolis with more than 16 million population, was battered by heavy rainfall in the early hours of April 8 following warnings from the meteorological authority and experts.