Heavy snowfall causes chaos in Turkey - violent accidents, flights canceled
Created: 03/13/2022, 11:08 am
By: Max Darga
Snowfall in Turkey in Istanbul in March 2022. © IMAGO/Hosam Salem
While the sun is shining in Germany and spring fever is slowly waking up, Turkey and Greece are once again being hit by winter.
Update from March 12, 2:28 p.m
.: Heavy snowfalls continue to cause chaos in Greece and Turkey.
Four trucks and a snow plow collided on a highway in Istanbul province on Saturday, the governor's office said.
The driver of the clearing vehicle was injured in the accident and transported to a hospital.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled because of the snowfall.
A further 357 Turkish Airlines (THY) flights were canceled at Istanbul Airport on Saturday.
Snowfall in Turkey: Mayor of Istanbul warns of 50 centimeters of fresh snow
More heavy snowfall is expected in Istanbul in the next few hours, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu tweeted.
Up to 50 centimeters of fresh snow is expected in some areas.
The mayor appealed to people to leave their cars behind.
The Turkish weather service also warned of a lot of snow in eastern Anatolia and on the Black Sea for the next few days.
A storm is also expected in the Antalya region on Sunday.
It snows for hours in Greece, in Athens and even on the islands of Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros, as well as in the mountainous regions on the resort island of Crete.
Railways halted services between Athens and the country's northern regions for 24 hours, state broadcaster reported on Saturday.
In the north of the country, the thermometer showed values around minus 15 degrees Celsius on Saturday night.
Snow chains are compulsory in many regions of Greece at the weekend.
"Filippos" continues to cause snowfall in Greece
“Don't let the morning sun in Attica fool you!
The way the weather will close will be impressive!” the Greek weather service
Meteo.gr reports
.
In the Attica region, the authorities expected further heavy snowfall on Saturday afternoon.
According to current forecasts, an improvement in the weather is not in sight until Sunday.
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Heavy snowfall causes chaos in Turkey - snow chains are compulsory in parts of Greece
First report from March 11, 2022
Istanbul/Athens - It's anything but a little snow.
With heavy snowfalls in Turkey, the weather has paralyzed parts of traffic and public life.
The airlines Pegasus and Turkish Airlines canceled several hundred connections from the two airports in Istanbul for Friday (March 11).
A number of connections should also fail on Saturday.
School lessons are also canceled in some places in Turkey.
Heavy snowfall is also forecast for many places in Greece on Friday and Saturday.
Snow chaos in Turkey and Greece:
It's a rather atypical picture: house roofs in Istanbul covered with a thick blanket of snow.
Such a picture presented itself on Friday morning as people trudged through the slushy snow on Taksim Square.
Traffic has been restricted.
Moped and scooter drivers are not allowed to drive their vehicles, as the governor of the Istanbul province announced.
Even the Bosphorus Strait was closed to transit on Thursday due to the unusual weather conditions.
The Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, called on people to stay at home.
But it's not over yet.
The heaviest snowfall is expected for Saturday.
Schools, universities and childcare in Istanbul province closed due to snow
According to the instructions of the Istanbul Provincial Governorate, schools, universities, childcare and other facilities are to remain closed until Monday.
But not only Istanbul is affected by the snow.
In places on the Black Sea, in parts of eastern and western Turkey, schools will remain closed for the time being, as reported by broadcaster CNN Türk.
Snow chains are compulsory in Greece
Anyone who knows Greece as a holiday destination in summer will have to wonder at the weekend.
According to the weather forecast, snow is expected to fall in northern Athens, on the Cyclades islands and even on Crete.
According to the forecasts, it should also snow on the Peloponnese peninsula.
Snow chains are compulsory in many regions and are strictly controlled.
Just a few weeks ago, surprisingly heavy snowfall caused traffic chaos in both countries, and several thousand people were stuck in their cars on the freeways overnight.
(mda)