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Türkiye’s largest city experienced its driest July in more than six decades, with rainfall in the Marmara Region plummeting to historic lows, according to the General Directorate of Meteorology on Saturday.
The long-term average for July rainfall in the region is 22.5 millimeters. This year, Istanbul received just 1.2 millimeters, a 95% drop from the average and a 94% decline compared with July 2023, when 18.5 millimeters fell.
Several provinces, including Istanbul, Bilecik, Bursa, Kocaeli, Sakarya and Yalova, along with Zonguldak in the Western Black Sea region, saw their lowest July rainfall in 65 years.
Balıkesir and Çanakkale reported their driest July in 18 years. In many areas, rainfall occurred on only a single day throughout the month.
Climate experts warned the prolonged dry spell could worsen water shortages.
“The drought continued in July, as it did in June,” said Prof. Hüseyin Toros, a climate scientist at Istanbul Technical University. “When we look at the rainfall figures in Istanbul, we see that last July was the driest July in the last 65 years. The main reason is the region’s exposure to high pressure.”
Toros noted that Istanbul’s temperatures have risen 2.5 degrees Celsius above the long-term average. He also warned that reservoir levels supplying the city are falling rapidly, with a 13% decline in dam levels recorded over the past month.
Toros said the absence of a stable rainfall pattern underscores the need for precautionary measures as the city faces increasing pressure on its water supply.
