Turkey marks warmest, rainiest November in decades
Turkey’s Meteorological Service stated that November broke recent temperature and rainfall records. November 2023 was the rainiest of the past 34 years, and the warmest of the past 53 years, tied with November 2010.
Duvar English
Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM) reported that November of 2023 was the warmest and simultaneously the rainiest November for Turkey in decades.
The Service stated the average temperature was 12.5 in 2023, 3.2 degrees above the average temperatures recorded between 1991 and 2020. Minimum and maximum temperatures had also increased in 2023.
According to the MGM, 67 centers broke their temperature records in 2023. The highest recorded temperature was 32.9 degrees Celcius in the Aegean town of Salihli.
November 2023 was also the rainiest month in decades, as rainfall was more than double the volumes recorded in 2022. The Black Sea Zonguldak province received the most rainfall with 295.5 millimeters per square meter, and 14 provinces including Istanbul, Bursa, Çanakkale, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, and Şırnak received around three times more than their average rainfall.
Some 13 provinces of Turkey received the highest amount of November rainfall in the last 63 years, including Istanbul, Bursa, Diyarbakır, and Tunceli.
The heavy rainfall in Istanbul province triggered a significant rise in the occupancy rate of dam reservoirs since early November. After reaching decade-low levels, the rate surpassed 23 percent as of Nov. 21.