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Storm batters Turkey, tearing off roofs, flooding coasts, disrupting transport

Turkish Minute

Severe storms and heavy rainfall swept across large parts of Turkey on Thursday, causing widespread damage from İstanbul to western and central provinces, flooding coastal areas, overturning vehicles and disrupting transport and daily life in several areas.

In İstanbul strong winds battered the city from the early morning hours, generating large waves along the Bosporus and the coastline of the Marmara Sea.

In Beşiktaş waves were several meters high and spilled onto the waterfront road, briefly flooding sections. Some ferry services in İstanbul were suspended, while a passenger plane was unable to land at Sabiha Gökçen Airport.

According to videos shared on social media, seawater overflowed onto coastal roads in İstanbul’s Kartal district, while boats were seen capsizing along the Tuzla shoreline.

Separate footage circulating on social media showed a crane weighing several tons being toppled during the storm. The impact extended across the Marmara region. Footage shared on X showed trucks overturned by strong winds on the Northern Marmara Motorway.

In Yalova, social media posts said a ferry carrying dozens of vehicles and hundreds of passengers was caught in the storm at sea and began drifting toward Kocaeli.

According to local media, the vessel was unable to dock at the Eskihisar pier and instead waited in a safe area offshore in the direction of Kocaeli. Passengers reportedly remained inside their vehicles for nearly two hours, with the ship’s captain informing them that the ferry would resume its journey once the storm subsided.

Widespread damage across western and central provinces

In Bursa storm-force winds reached speeds of up to 68 kilometers per hour, tearing roofs off buildings and damaging parked vehicles. In Osmangazi’s Çiftehavuzlar neighborhood the roof of a three-story building was blown onto the street, cutting electricity in the area.

Heavy rainfall compounded the damage, with 24 kilograms of rain falling per square meter within three hours, flooding roads in the Yıldırım district and leaving drivers stranded.

In Balıkesir’s Edremit district strong Lodos winds pushed wave heights above two meters, with seawater flooding coastal sidewalks and nearby businesses in Altınoluk, Akçay and Güre. Similar conditions were reported in Ayvalık, where authorities warned residents and fishermen to use caution.

Tekirdağ was also hit hard as rising waves flooded the coastal landfill area, forcing fishing boats to return to port and prompting large cargo ships to anchor offshore. Local reports said seawater submerged stalls and vehicles belonging to street vendors, while railings along the shore were damaged by powerful waves.

Elsewhere, strong winds in İzmir toppled trees onto parked cars, damaging several vehicles and partially closing a major boulevard.

In Manisa’s Turgutlu and Salihli districts heavy rain and wind knocked down trees and tore roofs from houses. In Salihli, a woman was injured and taken to the hospital after a piece of marble fell from a building.

Kocaeli saw flying debris cause damage when a wooden plank torn from a rooftop pierced a municipal bus in Darıca, though no injuries were reported.

In Kütahya, winds reaching up to 90 kilometers per hour uprooted trees, blocked roads and damaged vehicles, while factory structures were also affected. Similar disruptions were reported in Eskişehir and Denizli, where trees fell, roofs were damaged and traffic was briefly disrupted.

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