Turkey’s Rainfall Doubles in August, Despite⁤ Being Below‍ Long-Term Average

Turkey experienced a significant increase in rainfall in August,‌ with levels doubling compared to the same period last year, according ​to the State Meteorological Service’s August 2024 Precipitation Report.

The⁤ report revealed that the rainfall across Turkey in August was 13.9 kilograms per square⁢ meter, which is double the 6.4 kilograms per square meter recorded in August last year.‌ However, this year’s levels were still below the ‍long-term​ average for August rainfall, which is ⁤14.8 kilograms per square meter based on the period 1991-2020.

Compared⁤ to the long-term average, there was a seven percent decrease in ⁤rainfall, but it more than doubled compared to August last year.⁤ The increase in rainfall was not uniform across the country, with some regions experiencing significant increases while others saw a ‌decline.

Regional Variations in Rainfall

Rainfall increased across the entire Central Anatolia region,⁣ except for the areas around ​Eskişehir, Ankara, and Karaman provinces. Notably, the areas around Nevşehir received more than three times the normal rainfall.

However, some areas saw a drop of ‌over 80 percent in rainfall, including the‌ southern ⁣Marmara Region, the Western Black Sea, the coastal areas of the Aegean Region, and parts ​of the Southeast Anatolia⁢ Region, as well as‌ southern Antalya, Mersin, Adana, Hatay,‍ and eastern Hakkari provinces.

Rainfall‌ across‌ most regions, except for the Mediterranean and Central Anatolia, was below normal, with the Marmara Region experiencing the ​greatest decline, at 65 percent.

Extreme Rainfall Events

The highest rainfall was recorded in the northern⁤ province of Rize, with 141.6 kilograms per square meter, while the lowest was in the south-eastern province of Mardin, with 0.1 kilograms⁢ per square meter.

The ⁢central province ⁣of Nevşehir saw the biggest ⁤increase in rainfall, with ⁣over 100 percent more‍ than normal, while the Marmara region’s Yalova experienced ⁤the steepest decline, at 92 percent.

Yalova recorded its lowest August rainfall in​ 14 years,⁤ while eastern Şırnak had its lowest in 12 years. In contrast, Nevşehir saw its highest rainfall in August in 25 years, while the central ⁢Niğde and Osmaniye in 22 years, and‌ Kayseri in 17 years.

Number of Rainy​ Days

The average number of rainy ⁢days in August was three ‍days for the period 1991-2020, while in August this year, the national average was 3.5 days.

The coastal areas of the Eastern Black Sea Region and areas around Çankırı received rain for ⁣10 to 15 days,‌ while the coastal areas of‌ the Aegean Region⁢ and the eastern parts of Şanlıurfa and western Mardin received no rain at all.