Walnut-sized hail and flooding: severe weather hits several regions of Turkey at once

Heavy rains and large hail hit several regions of Turkey at once. Kars, Adana, Mersin and Konya were affected by the severe weather: in some areas, streets and agricultural land were covered with a white layer of hail, while torrential rains caused flooding and damage to infrastructure.

In the Akyaka area of Kars province, heavy rain suddenly gave way to intense hail. Large chunks of ice, accompanied by strong winds, covered streets, roads and green areas with a white layer in just a few minutes, making the summer landscape resemble winter. Local residents, caught off guard by the severe weather, were forced to seek shelter in buildings and under awnings.

Eyewitnesses filmed what was happening on their mobile phones. The footage shows hail falling on the settlement in strong gusts of wind and then covering the ground with such a thick layer that the surrounding area appears snow-covered.

An especially unusual situation developed in Adana province. In the Kozan district, in the Gaziköy neighborhood, hail roughly the size of walnuts fell along with the rain. The intense precipitation lasted for about ten minutes, but that was enough for the fields to quickly become covered with a white layer of ice.

The heavy precipitation came after meteorological services warned of possible rainstorms and hail in the northern parts of Adana. According to preliminary data, serious consequences for most agricultural land were avoided because harvesting had already been completed in many areas.

In neighboring Mersin province, the consequences were more noticeable. Hail fell in the highland areas of Erdemli — around the Hacıalanı and Sorgun plateaus, located at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters above sea level. After the rain, hail began to fall, covering orchards and fields with a white layer.

It is reported that the severe weather damaged fruit orchards and areas where vegetables are grown. The full extent of the damage is yet to be assessed.

Heavy rains also caused serious problems in the central part of the country. In the Bozkır district of Konya province, heavy rain and, in some areas, hail hit the Hamzalar neighborhood. Following prolonged precipitation, flooding and localized flash floods began in the settlement.

Water flows damaged some of the municipal infrastructure. In some places, sections of water supply lines and other underground utilities were destroyed or washed away, leaving pipes exposed above ground.

Neighborhood headman Yusuf Er said that damage assessment efforts began after the heavy rain and hail, and that information about the consequences of the severe weather was being passed on to the relevant services.

The severe weather served as another reminder of the sharp changes in weather conditions in Turkey at the end of summer: while hot weather persists in some regions of the country, other areas can face heavy rains, hail and localized flooding within just a few minutes.