The city of Van, in eastern Turkey, saw its first snowfall on Sunday ahead of the arrival of winter. Following a day marked by intermittent rain and falling temperatures, the snow began to fall heavily during the late afternoon, covering the streets and parked vehicles.
The snowfall, which initially affected the higher-altitude areas, eventually spread to the city centre of Van itself. The arrival of the first snow in Van, however, did not take the population by surprise, as it had been forecast by the weather services.
Due to the heavy snowfall, the streets and public spaces were covered in a blanket of white. The drop in temperatures also increased the risk of black ice on the roads, making driving difficult. As a result, local authorities ordered the suspension of school transport for at least Monday in a total of nine districts across the province, according to the DHA news agency.
Vehicles stranded on the mountain passes of Erzincan
Meanwhile, the arrival of winter also began to disrupt road transport in the province of Erzincan, also situated in eastern Turkey. Heavy snowfall and blizzards affected the mountain passes of Kızıldağ and Sakaltutan – on the road linking the provinces of Erzincan and Sivas – as well as the Ahmediye Pass, on the route to the province of Gümüşhane.
Numerous vehicles were stranded – particularly lorries – on these mountain passes due to the difficulty in making progress and the risk posed by the accumulation of snow and ice. Road maintenance crews and the gendarmerie intervened with heavy machinery to rescue the stranded vehicles, whilst also carrying out snow clearance and gritting operations on the roads.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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