Heavy rainfall in Istanbul led to the deaths of two individuals and required the rescue of hundreds of residents. The governor of Istanbul described the weather event as the heaviest rainfall the city has seen in 84 years.
The flooding occurred after some areas of the city received rainfall equivalent to one-seventh of the annual average. In response to the weather conditions, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya and local officials issued warnings for several provinces regarding the potential for sudden flooding.
According to BBC Turkish, a 14-year-old boy died from electrocution after stepping in a puddle, and a 34-year-old man died after falling and striking his head while attempting to cross a road. Istanbul’s governorship has launched an investigation into the teenager's death. Nuri Aslan, the city’s deputy mayor, reported that emergency teams rescued 595 people who had become stranded, while more than 8,000 workers were deployed to manage the flooding.
Public infrastructure and travel were also affected. Flooding submerged vehicles in a shopping center car park in the Sariyer district, and local media reported that a river burst its banks and sections of roads collapsed. The weather disrupted aviation, preventing 46 planes from landing at Istanbul airports. To accommodate commuters, officials extended metro service hours until 02:00 local time and urged the use of public transport over private vehicles.
The scale of the response involves over 8,000 workers managing the aftermath of rainfall that reached one-seventh of the annual average in a single event. For travelers, the diversion of 46 flights indicates significant logistical delays at one of the region's primary transit hubs. Residents have been instructed to remain indoors unless travel is essential, particularly during nighttime hours when storms were expected to continue.
The knock-on effects include potential strain on the city’s drainage infrastructure and the legal precedent of the governorship’s investigation into the electrocution death. As of the latest reports, the rain is expected to continue, and the interior ministry has warned of sudden flooding in other provinces. No specific date for the resumption of normal school schedules or the conclusion of administrative leave beyond the reported Thursday and Friday was provided.