Heavy rainfall has caused widespread flooding across İstanbul, inundating homes, businesses, roads and underpasses, while disrupting daily life and public transportation.
The downpours, which began in the morning and continued intermittently, left vehicles stranded on flooded roads and caused damage in several districts.
İstanbul's acting mayor Nuri Aslan said the city received nearly 100 millimeters of rainfall in just 12 hours between 10 pm last night and 10 a today, an amount typically associated with extreme rainfall over a 24-hour period.
Speaking at the municipality's Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) in the Eyüpsultan district, Aslan said heavy rainfall would continue, shifting toward the Bosphorus and the Asian side and persisting in the eastern part of the city until the following morning.
"Do not leave your homes unless necessary. At certain times, winds will intensify to storm levels, potentially reaching speeds of 75 to 80 kilometers per hour," he said.