In Türkiye overall, December 2023 marked the warmest December in the past 53 years, according to data compiled from the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change by Anadolu Agency (AA), shared on Saturday.
Based on the data from the General Directorate of Meteorology, last month's average temperatures were around seasonal norms in the Batman region, while in other parts of the country, temperatures were recorded above seasonal averages.
The average temperature for December, measured at 4.8 degrees Celsius (40.64 degrees Fahrenheit) nationwide between 1991 and 2020, surpassed normal levels by 3.5 degrees, reaching 8.3 degrees Celsius last month.
In temperature analyses, comparing data since 1971, last month was recorded as the warmest December in the past 53 years.
The lowest temperature last month was recorded at minus 21.3 degrees Celsius in the Özalp district of Van, while the highest temperature was 27.4 degrees Celsius measured in Sinop.
Average temperatures were observed above seasonal norms throughout the Marmara region. The long-term average temperature for December in the region is 7 degrees Celsius, but last month, it was measured at 10.3 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature in the region was recorded as minus 2.4 degrees Celsius in Balıkesir and the highest was 25 degrees Celsius in the northwestern province of Bursa.
Similarly, the average temperatures above seasonal norms were recorded across the Aegean region. Compared to the long-term average temperature of 7.9 degrees Celsius for December, last month saw temperatures of 11.2 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature was minus 4 degrees Celsius in Kütahya, and the highest was 24 degrees Celsius in Salihli district of Manisa province.
Regarding the southern coast and generally warm Mediterranean region, the average temperatures surpassed seasonal norms by climbing to an average of 12 degrees Celsius. Earlier, the long-term average for the region stood at 9.1 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature was minus 6 degrees Celsius in the Göksun district of Kahramanmaraş, and the highest was 25.9 degrees Celsius in Antalya's Demre.
In the central Anatolian region, last month's average temperature was recorded at 5.5 degrees Celsius, well above the long-term average of 1.4 degrees. While the lowest temperature of minus 10.9 degrees Celsius was recorded in Sivas' Kangal district, the highest one of 19.5 degrees Celsius was registered in Konya's Çumra.
A similar situation was observed in the northern Black Sea region, where the long-term average temperature of 4.8 degrees Celsius rose to 8.4 degrees Celsius in December 2023. The lowest temperature was minus 11.8 degrees Celsius in Bayburt province and the highest was 27.4 degrees Celsius in Sinop.
In the eastern Anatolia region, the long-term average temperature for December, which is minus 1.6 degrees Celsius, was measured at 2.5 degrees Celsius last month. In this region, the lowest temperature of minus 21.3 degrees Celsius was registered in Van's Özalp, and the highest of 16.3 degrees Celsius was observed in Diyarbakır's Ergani.
Coming to the southeastern region of the country, the report by AA indicated that temperatures hovering around seasonal norms were observed in Batman. At the same time, other parts saw temperatures breaching the average levels.
The long-term average temperature of 6.4 degrees Celsius rose to 9.3 degrees Celsius last month in the southeastern Anatolia region. The lowest temperature was minus 5.2 degrees Celsius in Şanlıurfa's Ceylanpınar, and the highest was 22.5 degrees Celsius in Şırnak's Cizre.
