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.