Precipitation in Türkiye's Marmara region surged in March by more than 100% compared to the same period last year, according to reports by the Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS) on Friday.
The increase in rainfall comes as a "blessing," taking into consideration the drought throughout the country in the latter part of 2022 and the first two months of 2023, professor Hüseyin Toros, a faculty member of the Meteorology Department at Istanbul Technical University (ITU), said during his interview with Anadolu Agency (AA).
Based on data, the Marmara region typically experiences an average of 66.1 millimeters of rainfall in March. Last year, the region received 37 millimeters of rainfall; while this year, it increased to 79.1 millimeters.
Stating that precipitation increased in Türkiye and the Marmara region starting March, Toros said, "The Marmara region is under the influence of low pressure in March. Rainfall occurred owing to this low pressure throughout the month."
Reiterating that water levels in Istanbul declined to 28% in January, Toros noted that dam levels have swelled to 44%.
He added that the amount of water in Istanbul dams increased by 14 million cubic meters (mcm) on Wednesday. However, the dams' water levels for April are still at their second lowest when compared to the same period in the last 10 years, Toros underlined.
At the same time, he urged water conservation efforts among the general population, stressing, "We must take measures against drought."
Stating that some 370 million cubic meters of water are filling the dams, Toros emphasized that the amount of water used annually in Istanbul now reaches 1 billion cubic meters.
Looking back on the data from previous years, Toros predicted that the water level in the dams in Istanbul would continue to rise until June.
