Heavy snowfall covers eastern Turkey and closes schools

ISTANBUL

A relatively warm spell covered Istanbul and Turkey’s western coasts, but the country’s east and some northern provinces were battling heavy snowfall that has already blocked roads in remote areas.

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A total of 798 roads leading to villages in the eastern provinces were reportedly blocked by heavy snowfall, blizzards and freezing rain, while local authorities ordered the temporary closure of all schools in all 20 districts in five provinces.

Erzincan, Kars, Erzurum and Ağrı are among the provinces most affected by the cold wave and forecasts indicate that snowfall will continue today and neighboring provinces such as Kastamonu and Tokat are expected to see snow in the next days.

However, the lowest temperature was recorded in İmranlı district of Sivas province in central Anatolia, where the thermometer read -21.7 Celsius.

Meanwhile, a team from the Search and Rescue Association (AKUT) rescued six residents stranded on a mountain road due to adverse weather conditions in the Black Sea province of Tonya district in Trabzon.

Trapped in their vehicles and struggling from the cold, the villagers were dragged out of their cars after six hours of effort and taken to a safe area. They were said to be in good health.

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On the Ayder plateau, one of the most important tourist centers in northeastern Turkey, a snow depth of 40 centimeters was measured. Visitors enjoyed the thick white cover on the slopes while tobogganing, tobogganing and snowboarding.