15.03.2025 13:54
In Adana, the temperature rose above 30 degrees, and thermometers inside vehicles reached 40 degrees. Young people looking to cool off rushed to the irrigation canals, where dozens of people have drowned each year.
In Adana, one of the hottest cities in Turkey, while car thermometers show 40 degrees, young people are cooling off in irrigation canals despite the drowning risk.
The heat wave coming from Africa is making summer felt in Adana. According to data from the General Directorate of Meteorology, the air temperature in the city was measured at 31.7 degrees. Thermometers in the shade of parks and gardens showed 28 degrees, while car thermometers indicated 40 degrees. With the increase in heat, more than 260 people have drowned in the canal over the last 11 years, with about 30 people drowning each year, and young people have started to swim again. Children jumping into the cool water have raised concerns, while some of their statements have left others speechless.
"IF WE DIE, LET'S DIE HERE"
Furkan Taş, a 15-year-old, explained that he entered the canal because the weather was warm, saying, "The weather has warmed up, so we started to enter the canal. The weather is nice for us. We are not afraid of drowning; we swim as much as we can. We want to have fun and swim. We are going to die anyway, so if we die, let’s die here."
14-year-old İbrahim Taş stated that he is not afraid of entering the irrigation canal, saying, "It’s hot, that’s why we came here. It’s nice during Ramadan. We didn’t meet death by our own fate, so we are not afraid of drowning or dying."