Overview
- Heavy rains struck Istanbul on Wednesday night, producing what the governor and meteorological agency called the highest precipitation levels recorded in the city since 1942.
- Authorities gave differing early casualty totals, reporting two confirmed deaths in one account and three deaths with four people missing in others, including a 14-year-old boy who died of electrocution after stepping into a puddle.
- The Istanbul governorate reported 1,277 flood incidents, 15 landslides, about 47 people trapped at one point, and nearly 3,000 people rescued across the province, with small-scale rescue operations continuing.
- Transport and services were widely disrupted with roughly 50 flights diverted and about 20 cancelled, water and electricity cut in some districts, two-wheeler traffic banned, metro hours extended late into the night, and schools closed for two days.
- City officials warned of two to three more days of rain, said built-up, hilly neighborhoods and basement housing worsened the impact, and cautioned residents to avoid low-lying areas as damage assessments and casualty figures remain provisional.