ISTANBUL
Over 100 flights in and out of Istanbul on Tuesday have been cancelled as the city feels the grip of a major blizzard.
Turkey’s biggest city – and major international aviation hub – was hit by snowfall and high winds which began in the early hours of the morning and will continue until Friday.
Turkish Airlines said that it canceled 123 domestic and international flights (Tuesday and Wednesday) due to the heavy snow.
Turkey’s National General Meteorology Directorate said that snowfall would continue intensifying on Wednesday and pause on Thursday midday local time. On Thursday night it will start snowing again until Friday morning, the meteorology agency predicted.
Varying from district to district, snowfall is expected to be between 10 and 20 centimeters in Istanbul.
On Wednesday, the highest temperature is expected to be 2C degrees and it will fall to below zero overnight.
The snowfall has been classed as a blizzard as a result of the accompanying strong winds, according to the meteorology agency.
City ferry lines were suspended and some sea busses also canceled.
Istanbul saw short-term disruption due to several traffic accidents and the city’s municipality has said that around 5,000 personnel and more than 1,000 vehicles are ready to take action in the event of more disruption.
