Cyclone Appears in Turkey for First Time, Batters Istanbul



First recorded hurricane (cyclone) in memory occurred in Turkey April 18, 2012



For the first time in recorded memory, a cyclone on April 18, 2012, hit Turkey, with strong winds battering Istanbul, closing the bridge over the Bosporus and wreaking havoc in the Grand Bazaar.   Turkish hydro-meteorology specialists reported that the wind speeds, at the onset of the storm, reached nearly 50 MPH.  The State Meteorological Bureau warned that winds with speeds of up to 62 miles per hour were expected.


Scientists agree that this is the first time that Turkey witnessed a hurricane-like storm.  Residents living in the cities of İzmir and İstanbul who have lived their whole life in those cities, say they have never seen such a storm as this one.  Six persons are reported to have died in this storm.
 






 Another powerful hurricane hit Istanbul on July 29, 2017.  Flooding was so deep that people had to swim across the streets.  Rescue operations were conducted throughout the city by saving people from rooftops and from on top of buses, when passengers climbed onto the roofs to escape the fast-moving flood waters.






REFERENCES




Coleri, M. and et al. Weather Analysis and Forecasting Techniques, 2007.




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