Temperatures started rising across Turkey on Sunday as the Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS) warned that a heat wave hailing from Iraq’s Basra started making its foray into the country from southeastern regions.
An increase in temperatures brings an end to seasonal norms. Experts warn of about a 5-degree to 8-degree Celsius rise in temperatures in inner and eastern regions of Turkey. Temperatures will return to seasonal norms in the second half of this week.
The highest expected temperatures this week in Ankara and Istanbul will be 37 and 30 degrees C (98 degrees Fahrenheit and 86 degrees F) respectively. Şanlıurfa in the southeast will see the highest temperature at 44 degrees C while temperatures will be as high as 40 degrees C in Elazığ and Gaziantep in the southeast. Central Turkey’s Konya will also see temperatures rising as high as 37 degrees.
Experts warn people, especially the elderly, children and people with chronic illnesses, to be careful about high temperatures, particularly between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
