Türkiye’s State Meteorological Service (MGM) has issued an orange weather warning for Muğla and Aydın, forecasting very heavy thunderstorms from Monday 26 October, while İzmir, Denizli and Antalya are under a lower, yellow-level alert. The Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change shared the colour-coded warnings on Sunday afternoon, citing MGM data.
MGM uses a four-step scale: green means no hazard, yellow low danger, orange dangerous and red very dangerous. Orange is therefore the second-highest level.
Up to 100 kg per square metre in Muğla
According to the warning, the rain should begin around 05:00 on Monday and continue without a break until about 03:00 on Tuesday. Muğla is expected to see very heavy and severe downpours of 51-100 kilograms per square metre (equivalent to 51-100 mm) across the province, which includes Fethiye, Bodrum, Marmaris, Datça, Dalaman and Köyceğiz. Western Aydın faces similar amounts, while southern and western districts of İzmir could get 21-50 kg/m2 on Monday morning.
The regional forecasting centre of MGM’s 4th Regional Directorate said in a separate statement, reported by İhlas News Agency (İHA), that showers could continue intermittently and locally over Muğla on Tuesday and Wednesday, 27-28 October.
Forecasters listed flash floods and flooding, landslides, lightning, local hail, strong gusts during the storms and possible waterspouts along the coast, as well as disruption to traffic and transport.
Western Antalya districts from midday
In Antalya, the storms are expected to move in from around midday on Monday. The ministry named seven districts at risk of heavy to very heavy thunderstorms: Kaş, Kemer, Kumluca, Finike, Demre, Elmalı and Korkuteli. The MGM bulletin put possible totals in Antalya’s western districts at 30-75 kg/m2, with intermittent rain also forecast there on Tuesday and Wednesday. The city centre and the eastern resorts such as Alanya were not among the districts named.
The change comes after a warm, sunny weekend that drew late-season visitors to beaches along the coast, which has enjoyed an extended "yellow summer" this autumn, as covered in our report on autumn hotel occupancy in Bodrum and Kuşadası. Antalya is still receiving large numbers of foreign holidaymakers, as shown by the province’s nine-month visitor figures.
What it means for residents and visitors
Anyone in the region on Monday should avoid parking or walking in dry riverbeds, underpasses and low-lying streets, which can flood quickly in storms of this strength. Boat trips and sea excursions may be cancelled, and drivers should allow extra time on mountain roads such as those around Kaş, Kemer and Elmalı, where landslides are a risk.
Owners of holiday homes who are abroad may want to ask a manager or neighbour to clear balcony and roof drains, secure outdoor furniture and check for leaks after the storm. Updated warnings are published on the MGM website and its mobile app. For more on daily life in the region, see our guides to living in Fethiye and living in Bodrum.
Sources
- Meteoroloji’den 5 il için saat vererek kritik uyarı: Pazartesi sabahı başlıyor, çarşambaya kadar sürecek (Karar)
- Meteorolojiden 2 il için turuncu, 3 il için sarı kodlu uyarı (ABC Gazetesi)
- Meteoroloji Muğla’da sağanak uyarısı yaptı, 51-100 kg/m2 yağış bekleniyor (İHA via Haberler.com)
Photo: Tasos Mansour / Unsplash License, via Unsplash
