26.10.2026 10:43
According to data from the General Directorate of Meteorology, the number of extreme meteorological events in Turkey has increased more than twofold in 20 years. The number of events, which remained below 400 in the early 2000s, rose to 1,329 in the January-September period of 2026. Severe rainfall and floods top the events experienced this year, followed by storms, hail, and landslides.
In Türkiye, meteorological extreme events have increased more than twofold in 20 years. By year, among the most dangerous events, rain and floods ranked first, followed by storms and tornadoes.
The increase in natural events directly and indirectly related to meteorological conditions in recent years has drawn attention. In Türkiye, where an increase of more than twofold in extreme events has been observed over 20 years, fewer than 400 extreme natural events occurred in the early 2000s, while this number rose to 1329 in the January-September period of 2026.
EXCEEDED 1000 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2021
According to data from the General Directorate of Meteorology, the number of extreme events reached 500 in 2014 and was recorded as 959 in 2015. A record was broken in 2016 with 1313 events. The number of extreme events was recorded as 598 in 2017, 935 in 2019, 984 in 2020 and 1024 in 2021. The number of meteorological extreme events exceeded 1000 for the first time in 2021, and afterward a new record was broken with 1030 events in 2022 and 1475 events in 2023. In 2024 this figure was 1257, and last year it was 1011.
In extreme events experienced in 2014 and subsequent years, rain and floods mostly ranked first. In the proportional distribution of extraordinary events of meteorological character by year, heat waves ranked first in 2016; storms and tornadoes in 2014, 2017 and 2021; heavy precipitation and floods in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2026; heavy precipitation in 2022; and storms in 2025.
FLOODS, STORMS AND AVALANCHES CLAIMED LIVES
The most frequent extreme events in 2014 were storms-tornadoes at 36 percent (6 deaths), heavy precipitation-floods at 35 percent (8 deaths), hail at 15 percent, heavy snow at 5 percent, lightning at 4 percent (11 deaths) and frost events at 3 percent. In 2015, extreme events were heavy precipitation and floods at 26 percent, storms at 25 percent, hail at 12 percent, heat waves at 11 percent, heavy snow at 8 percent, lightning at 6 percent, cold waves at 3 percent, landslides at 3 percent and fog at 2 percent. In these events, several people died because of lodos, 9 people because of lightning, 1 person because of a landslide, 1 person because of a flood and 1 person because of snow load.
In meteorological extreme events in 2016, heat waves were 43 percent, storms 22 percent, heavy precipitation and floods 11 percent, hail 12 percent, heavy snow 4 percent, tornadoes 4 percent, avalanches 3 percent, frost 3 percent and lightning 2 percent. In İzmir, Niğde, Elazığ, Rize, Kayseri and Gaziantep, 11 people were poisoned by flue gas due to the effect of lodos; in Ordu, 2 people died because of floods; in Diyarbakır and Van, 9 people died because of lightning strikes; in Trabzon, 2 people died because of a landslide; and in Elazığ-Palu, 3 people died because of an avalanche. In the proportional distribution of meteorological extraordinary events in 2017, storms and tornadoes were 36 percent, heavy precipitation and floods 31 percent, hail 16 percent, heavy snow 7 percent, lightning about 4 percent, and avalanches and frost about 1.5 percent. Among natural disasters of meteorological character seen in 2018, heavy precipitation/floods ranked first with 39 percent, storms with 28 percent and hail disaster with 16 percent. Most of the extreme events recorded in 2019 were heavy precipitation/floods at 36 percent and storms at 27 percent. Other events were hail at 18 percent, lightning at 7 percent, heavy snow at 5 percent, landslides at 3 percent, and avalanches, forest fires, dust storms and fog at rates of 1 percent and less.
Most of the extreme events recorded in 2020 were heavy precipitation/floods at 30 percent, storms at 27 percent and hail at 23 percent. Other events were lightning at 7 percent, snow at 5 percent, landslides and frost at 2 percent, and avalanches, forest fires, dust storms, high temperatures and fog at rates of 1 percent and less. That year, 41 people died because of the avalanche in Van, 10 people in floods in Giresun and Bursa, and 2 people because of lightning.
Most of the extreme events recorded in 2021 were storms/tornadoes at 40 percent, heavy precipitation/floods at 28 percent, hail at 13 percent and heavy snow at 7 percent. Other events were lightning at 5 percent, forest fires at 3 percent, frost and landslides at 2 percent, and avalanches, dust storms, fog, severe cold and drought at rates of less than 1 percent. Three people lost their lives in forest fires, and 97 people in floods in Kastamonu, Sinop and Bartın. It was recorded that most of the extreme events that occurred in 2022 were heavy precipitation at 33.6 percent. This value was followed by storms at 21.4 percent, hail at 18.5 percent and snow at 11.7 percent.
In 2023, the most dangerous extreme events were heavy precipitation and floods at 38 percent, storms at 23 percent, hail at 16 percent, lightning strikes at 6 percent, heavy snow at 6 percent, landslides at 5 percent and tornadoes at 2 percent. In the flood disaster in Şanlıurfa, 21 people lost their lives. In 2024, the events that caused the most damage were heavy precipitation and floods at 35 percent, storms at 20 percent, hail at 18 percent, snow at 9 percent, lightning strikes at 8 percent, landslides at 3 percent, tornadoes at 2 percent and frost at 2 percent. In the flood in Antalya, 1 person lost their life.
1329 EVENTS IN 9 MONTHS THIS YEAR
In 2025, extreme events were storms at 27 percent, heavy precipitation and floods at 23 percent, hail at 17 percent, snow at 11 percent, frost at 7 percent, lightning strikes at 5 percent, landslides at 2 percent and tornadoes at 2 percent. Extreme events such as avalanches, forest fires, fog and dust storms had a total share of 1 percent or less. In the January-August period of 2026, of the 1263 most dangerous extreme events, 33 percent were heavy rain and floods, 20 percent were storms, 17 percent were hail, 10 percent were landslides, 8 percent were heavy snowfall and 4 percent were lightning strikes and avalanches. In September, 66 meteorological events were recorded, including 24 heavy precipitation and floods, 16 storms, 9 landslides, 7 hail and 7 lightning strikes. In addition, 2 forest fires and 1 dust storm occurred. Heavy precipitation accounted for approximately 36 percent of the meteorological disasters in September.