Is snow returning to Istanbul? It will intensify as soon as schools reopen

Prof. Dr. Orhan Şen from the Department of Meteorological Engineering at Istanbul Technical University stated in a post on his social media account that a new cold weather system is expected to affect Turkey starting Saturday.

According to Şen, the southwesterly winds (lodos) and precipitation coming from the Mediterranean that have persisted for a week will be replaced by the effects of rapidly dropping temperatures.

Starting from the weekend, the rain seen in the western regions will begin to turn into sleet and snow in Thrace and the inland parts of the Black Sea after Sunday.

With this sudden drop in temperatures, winter conditions will be felt once again across most of the Marmara region and Anatolia.

Prof. Dr. Orhan Şen reiterated his snow warning, stating, "As of Sunday night and Monday, there is a possibility of snowfall in many parts of Marmara and Anatolia, including Istanbul."

HEAVY PRECIPITATION AND STORM WARNING: YELLOW ALERT IN 24 PROVINCES

The General Directorate of Meteorology also urged citizens to be cautious against sudden changes in weather conditions. A yellow-coded warning has been issued for the provinces of Adana, Afyonkarahisar, Antalya, Aydın, Balıkesir, Bolu, Burdur, Çanakkale, Denizli, Giresun, Hatay, Mersin, İzmir, Kastamonu, Kütahya, Muğla, Ordu, Samsun, Sinop, Tokat, Trabzon, Uşak, Karabük, and Düzce.

In Istanbul, strong southwesterly winds are expected to blow throughout the day, with intermittent rain. In the city, where temperatures are expected to hover around 14 degrees, snowfall may begin as of Sunday night.

In the capital, Ankara, precipitation is forecast toward the evening hours, with temperatures around 12 degrees. In İzmir and Antalya, there is a risk of hail and tornadoes in addition to heavy rain.