An "orange alert" is in place for Istanbul and its immediate region for Thursday as far-flung suburbs of the Turkish megalopolis was hit by flash floods on Wednesday morning.

Heavy rainfall paralyzed life in the early hours of Wednesday in Esenyurt and Silivri districts on the European side before it receded within hours. The precipitation was still enough to block the streets as sewage pipes burst open in Esenyurt under the pressure of tons of water, clogging the roads. In Silivri, several shops were flooded while the traffic slowed down elsewhere.

Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya warned residents that heavy rainfall would likely take hold in the city on Thursday morning, particularly on the European side, urging caution against flash floods.

Yüksel Yağan, a senior official from Turkish State Meteorological Services (TSMS), told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Wednesday that they predicted heavy precipitation in the east of the Marmara region, where Istanbul is located, as well as west of the Black Sea region, neighboring the city. Yağan said Türkiye’s north and south would see sporadic rainfall throughout the week.

"Orange alert" issued by TSMS refers to rare weather conditions that may cause loss of human lives and/or property damage.

"Throughout the next five days, our country will be subject to precipitation linked to a weather pattern," Yağan said, adding that temperatures, on the other hand, would be around seasonal normal.

Ministry of Environment, Urban Planning and Climate Change also issued a warning on its social media account, citing Istanbul’s Asian side, Kocaeli, Zonguldak, Düzce and Sakarya provinces were issued orange alerts and those places can also experience tornadoes in areas near the sea.