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Istanbul is set to experience several days of stormy weather, with the city's disaster management authority warning that rainfall could exceed 100 kilograms per square meter in some northern districts.
The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's Directorate of Disaster Affairs and Risk Management, known as AKOM, said Istanbul and the broader Marmara Region have come under the influence of a cool, rain-bearing air mass moving in from the Balkans.
According to the agency, thunderstorms and heavy downpours are expected to intensify from 7:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. GMT) on Sunday and continue intermittently through Wednesday evening.
AKOM attributed the unsettled conditions to a system originating in the Balkans that is forecast to remain over the region for the week.
A combination of moist air carried in by northeasterly winds from the Black Sea, cold air at higher altitudes and warmer air near the surface is expected to trigger stormy weather with lightning and, at times, intense thunderstorms.
Rain that had already been falling intermittently through Sunday was forecast to intensify from 7:00 p.m. local time, with the heaviest downpours expected across the European Side, the area surrounding the Bosphorus, the city's northern districts and much of the Anatolian Side.
Through 8:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday, when the rain is expected to taper off, Istanbul as a whole is forecast to receive between 30 and 60 kilograms of rainfall per square meter.
Northern districts including Çatalca, Arnavutkoy, Eyupsultan, Sariyer, Beykoz, Cekmekoy and Sile face higher totals, with AKOM warning that rainfall in these areas could reach 60 to 100 kilograms per square meter and, in some locations, surpass 100 kilograms.
Winds are also expected to pick up throughout the week, blowing intermittently from the northeast and northwest at storm-level speeds of 30 to 60 kilometers per hour.
Alongside the wind and rain, temperatures currently near 20 degrees Celsius are projected to fall to around 15°C by the middle of the week.
Ahead of the storm system's arrival, IBB teams stepped up preparations across the city. Drains, grates and streams were cleared in advance of the rainfall, while additional personnel were assigned outside normal working hours to respond to emergencies.
Inspections were also carried out on rainwater pumps at underpasses, coastal squares and other flood-prone locations, with response crews placed on standby in case of flooding.
Officials urged residents to remain cautious and take precautions against the risks posed by the storms and potential flooding in the days ahead.
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