Türkiye: Massive fires in the west and rare snow in the east in the heart of summer

Arab Weather - Large parts of Turkey are experiencing extreme events at the same time, with widespread fires breaking out in western Turkey, while rare snow fell in the northeast.

Massive forest fires hit western Türkiye due to an intense heat wave.

Western Turkey, including the provinces of Izmir, Muğla, and Balıkesir, has been experiencing widespread forest fires for several days due to an unusually intense heat wave. Temperatures have exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, coupled with active dry winds.

Meteorological analyses indicate that the fires' intensification is due to a strong high pressure system controlling western Turkey and the central Mediterranean. This was accompanied by an extremely hot air mass, which caused temperatures to rise to record levels and humidity to drop to extremely low levels, creating conditions conducive to the rapid spread of fires.

Active westerly winds have exacerbated the spread of the fires, with speeds exceeding 60 kilometers per hour in some areas. This has complicated firefighting efforts and prompted authorities to evacuate several villages and residential areas near the fire sites.

Rare snow hits eastern Türkiye as a result of a cold air mass late in the year.

Meanwhile, northeastern Turkey is witnessing snowfall in the high mountains, particularly in the provinces of Erzurum, Van, Bitlis, and Hakkari, amid remarkably cold weather that is unusual for this time of year.

According to analyses, the reason behind this phenomenon is the rush of a cold air mass from northeastern Europe and the Caucasus toward eastern Anatolia, coinciding with an upper air depression in those regions. This has led to a sharp drop in temperatures and snowfall on elevations above 2,000 meters above sea level.

Snow accumulations were observed in some mountainous areas, a very rare phenomenon in July, a period typically marked by high temperatures.

And God knows best.