Turkey under threat of drought: Precipitation decreased by 59%
The three-month drought map released by the General Directorate of Meteorology has revealed that Turkey is in a period of exceptional drought. While the lowest precipitation levels in the last 32 years were recorded in the Black Sea region in particular, nationwide precipitation has decreased by 59% compared to last year.
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According to the three-month drought map released by the General Directorate of Meteorology, Turkey is experiencing an 'exceptional drought.' While precipitation has decreased by 59% compared to the same period last year, the lowest precipitation in the last 32 years was recorded in the Black Sea region, which is Turkey's wettest region.
An exceptional drought
According to the 3-month drought map published by the General Directorate of Meteorology, an "Exceptionally Dry" or exceptional drought is being experienced. The country as a whole is facing a severe drought process.
PRECIPITATION IN THE BLACK SEA REGION AT ITS LOWEST IN 32 YEARS
In Turkey, precipitation this March decreased by 53% compared to the norm and by 59% compared to the same period last year. All regions across the country received less precipitation than both their norms and last year's levels, with the largest decrease compared to the norm occurring in the Aegean Region at 79%. The lowest precipitation in the last 32 years was recorded in the Aegean Region at 65, the Marmara Region at 39, the Central Anatolia Region at 35, and the Black Sea Region.
The lowest precipitation by province was seen in Ankara with 5.1 kilograms per square meter, and the highest was in Tunceli with 89.2 kilograms per square meter. In March precipitation, the largest increase compared to the norm occurred in Erzincan at 35%, while the largest decrease occurred in Manisa at 91%.
LOWEST MARCH PRECIPITATION IN THE LAST 35 YEARS RECORDED
The lowest March precipitation in the last 35 years was recorded in Aksaray, Ankara, Çankırı, Denizli, Hatay, İzmir, Kırıkkale, and Manisa at 65; in Van at 63; in Kırşehir at 53; in Balıkesir at 42; in Bolu, Çorum, Eskişehir, İstanbul, Karabük, Karaman, Kastamonu, Konya, and Kütahya at 39; in Bartın, Kocaeli, and Sakarya at 36; and in Amasya and Tokat.
While the number of rainy days across Turkey was calculated as 11.3 days on average for the 1991-2020 period, it was 6.4 days on average in March.