For the second day running, the city of Istanbul is still experiencing the consequences of the cold and snow storm that left heavy snowfall yesterday and caused significant problems for air traffic at the airports of the Turkish metropolis, forcing the closure of schools this Thursday while meteorologists warn that the adverse conditions will continue throughout the week.
Although the snow storm appeared to lose intensity on Thursday compared to yesterday, authorities are maintaining the alert due to the forecast of more snow over the next few days, with accumulations that could reach 40 centimetres in the highest areas of Istanbul before the storm begins to ease from Monday.
After the transport disruptions yesterday, the hard work of the municipal teams seemed to pay off and throughout today there were no major complications in public transport (including metro, tram, buses and metrobuses), while the closure of schools and instructions for many employees to work remotely from home has helped to ease traffic congestion, which today was only 29% on average, well below the usual figures for the city. However, authorities are insisting on their appeal to avoid using cars and travelling unless it is strictly necessary.
According to Turkish media sources, the Turkish State Meteorological Service has issued warnings about snow and ice for all districts in Istanbul, and even warns that the ice will persist on Monday 24th, when the snowfall is expected to cease. Maximum temperatures are not expected to exceed 3 ºC today and until Monday, while minimum temperatures will remain at 0 ºC today, dropping to -2 ºC at the weekend and -3 ºC on Monday.
But the cold and snow storm is not only affecting Istanbul: much of Turkey, with the exception of the provinces on the west coast and on the Mediterranean, is under the effects of the storm, which yesterday forced the cancellation of classes in many regions of the country. In the Turkish capital, Ankara, temperatures plummeted to 6 degrees below zero, causing some accidents and serious complications in road traffic due to the slippery road surface.
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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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