The heavy rain affecting Muğla is forecast to intensify again on Tuesday, 27 October, with the province’s southern and eastern districts, including Fethiye, Marmaris, Dalaman and Datça, facing the heaviest totals, according to a new warning from Türkiye’s meteorological service.
The warning was issued on Monday afternoon by the Regional Forecast and Warning Centre of the Meteorology Service’s 4th Regional Directorate, which covers Muğla. Local outlets Muğla Gazetesi and Aksiyon reported it between about 15:00 and 15:30, and Muğla Gazetesi said it was warning number 278, announced at 13:45 and valid from 03:00 to 23:59 on Tuesday.
Seven districts face 76–100 kg/m² or more
According to the warning, thunderstorms are expected across Muğla from the early hours of Tuesday. Rainfall is forecast to be severe, and locally extreme, at 76 to 100 kilograms per square metre or more (equivalent to 76–100 mm) in seven districts:
– Datça – Marmaris – Köyceğiz – Ortaca (including Dalyan) – Dalaman – Fethiye – Seydikemer
In the northern part of the province, Bodrum, Milas, Yatağan, Kavaklıdere, Menteşe and Ula are expected to see strong rain of 21 to 50 kg/m².
The meteorologists listed flash floods, flooding, lightning, possible waterspouts, strong gusts during downpours, landslides and disruption to transport among the risks, and urged residents and institutions to be careful and take precautions. The reports did not say what colour code applies on the national warning map for Tuesday.
A shift from earlier forecasts
The new warning puts the focus on the southern coast after a day in which the worst effects were felt in the north and west of the province. On Monday, the storm cancelled Bodrum’s ferries to Datça and Kos and closed Datça’s schools for the afternoon, and later flooded workplaces in Koyunbaba and briefly closed the road to Gümüşlük. Monday’s orange warning for Muğla, first reported here on Sunday, runs until 03:00 on Tuesday, and national forecasts say strong showers are also likely around Muğla and Antalya on Wednesday.
By about 16:00 on Monday, no school closures for Tuesday had been announced by the Muğla Governor’s Office or district governorates in the province, based on the reports reviewed by this site. Such decisions are usually announced by the governor or district governor (kaymakam) in the evening or early morning.
What it means for residents
If you live in or are visiting Fethiye, Göcek, Dalyan, Marmaris or the Datça peninsula, plan for heavy downpours from the early hours of Tuesday. Avoid driving through flooded roads and dry stream beds (dere), clear drains and gutters around homes and villas, move vehicles away from low-lying spots, and check with operators before boat trips or ferry crossings. Travellers using Dalaman or Bodrum airports should check their flight status with the airline. Follow announcements from the Muğla Governor’s Office, district governorates and AFAD, the national disaster agency. For more on the area, see our guide to living in Fethiye.
Sources
- Meteorolojiden Muğla için şiddetli yağış uyarısı: 10 ilçe risk altında (Muğla Gazetesi)
- Muğla’da yedi ilçede kuvvetli yağış uyarısı: yer yer aşırı yağış bekleniyor (Aksiyon)
- Muğla’nın 7 ilçesine kuvvetli yağış uyarısı (Gazete Gerçek)
Photo: allen watkin from London, UK / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
