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Eastern Türkiye experienced severe winter conditions as temperatures dropped to record lows, with one district recording the country's coldest reading of the season at nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) below zero.
The Gole district in Ardahan province registered minus 39.7 degrees Celsius overnight, marking it as Türkiye's coldest location, according to data from the Turkish State Meteorological Service. The frigid temperatures created hazardous conditions across multiple eastern provinces, freezing water bodies and disrupting daily life.
Altinyayla district in Sivas province recorded the second-lowest temperature at minus 33.8 degrees Celsius, followed by Yavuzlar village in Gole at minus 33.2 degrees Celsius, meteorological data showed.
The intense cold created widespread ice formation and frost throughout Ardahan. Windows of homes, vehicles, and businesses froze over, while roads transformed into icy surfaces. Residents who ventured outside faced significant difficulties navigating the conditions. Ponds and streams in the city developed thick surface ice.
Erzurum province experienced temperatures dropping to minus 23 degrees Celsius overnight, with the cold severely affecting daily activities. Following the recent snowfall, long icicles formed on building roofs, and frost covered windows throughout the city.
Highway authorities, metropolitan municipality teams, and district municipal crews conducted snow removal operations across their designated areas.
In Kars, nighttime temperatures fell to minus 28 degrees Celsius. Icicles appeared on building roofs while plants and trees became coated with frost. The cold proved particularly severe in the Sarikamis district, where locks on doors froze solid and outdoor fountains turned to ice. Some residents wrapped their vehicles in blankets for protection, while shopkeepers used electric heaters to melt ice from windows.
"It's been extremely cold for two or three days now. It reminds us of the old winters," said local shopkeeper Serhat Gokmen. "We're in the dead of winter now; may God help us."
Baykan Sari, another resident, said vehicles were becoming difficult to start in the extreme conditions.
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Agri province continued experiencing freezing temperatures as streets filled with snow. The Murat River, which flows through the city center, developed an ice-covered surface. In the Taslicay district, rivers and streams froze completely.
The cold snap represents typical winter conditions for eastern Türkiye's high-altitude regions, though the severity of the current temperatures has created particularly challenging circumstances for residents and transportation infrastructure.
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