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Türkiye established a new all-time European temperature record Friday when the southeastern province of Sirnak recorded 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit), according to data from the Turkish State Meteorological Service.
The record-breaking temperature was measured in Silopi district of Sirnak province, surpassing the previous continental European record of 48.8 degrees Celsius set in Sicily, Italy, in August 2021.
The World Meteorological Organization had officially verified the Italian record in January 2024 after an exhaustive evaluation process that included independent analysis and calibration of the Sicilian sensor and its associated datalogger and solar shield.
The previous continental European record of 48 degrees Celsius had been held jointly by the Greek cities of Athens and Elefsina from July 10, 1977. That record was based on official government sources and included in the WMO Archive of Global Weather and Climate Extremes when it was formed in 2007, though it lacked the independent WMO verification that the recent Italian temperature received.
Temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in 31 Turkish provinces Friday, with readings taken in shade conditions at 2 meters above ground level, according to meteorological data. The Turkish State Meteorological Service reported that nationwide temperatures are running 6-12 degrees above seasonal averages.
The provinces experiencing temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius included Sirnak, Mardin, Siirt, Sanliurfa, Batman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Kilis, Antalya, Adiyaman, Mugla, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Aydin, Izmir, Denizli, Adana, Bingol, Elazig, Manisa, Burdur, Balikesir, Eskisehir, Tunceli, Edirne, Mersin, Malatya, Usak, Canakkale, Osmaniye and Mus.
Türkiye's geographic position spanning both Europe and Asia makes this temperature significant for European climate records, as the country contains territory classified within the WMO's European region. Because WMO Region VI (Europe) contains parts of Asia, including Israel, Türkiye and Syria, as well as Greenland, the WMO categorizes extremes with records for both the region as a whole and for "continental" Europe specifically.
The WMO's rigorous verification process for temperature extremes involves meticulous evaluation to provide critical confidence that global temperature records are properly measured. When the organization verified Sicily's 48.8 degrees Celsius reading, experts determined that a very strong upper-level ridge was in place over the region at the time of the extreme temperature, with data from reanalyses and nearby sites supporting the observation.
The extreme temperatures come amid a broader pattern of rising heat across the region, with meteorological services warning of continued above-normal temperatures. The WMO has noted that the extremes presented for adjudication represent snapshots of the current climate, with officials indicating greater extremes may occur across Europe in the future.
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