Turkey's Marmara region lashed by heavy rains

Less than 1 month after thunderstorms struck Turkey's biggest city, fresh rains cause flooding, damage

By Kubra Chohan

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey’s Marmara region is picking up the pieces after torrential rains, storms and hail lashed the area on Tuesday.

Flights at Istanbul Ataturk Airport -- the country’s main air hub -- faced delays while traffic was reported to be backed up in several provinces neighboring Istanbul: Balikesir; Yalova; and Tekirdag.

In Balikesir, some farmland and low-lying premises were flooded. Firefighters in Balikesir municipality said at least 20 trees fell due to strong winds, damaging a number of vehicles.

Several other provinces in the region were affected, including Sakarya and Kocaeli.

The deluge comes less than a month after Istanbul was lashed by early-morning thunderstorms, followed days later by an extreme hailstorm. Millions of Istanbulites struggled and waded to work after storms dumped torrents of rain and swamped transport networks.

Flash flooding saw main roads turned into rivers, with many soaked commuters forced to abandon submerged vehicles.

Many underpasses, intersections and some metro and bus stops were put out of action, leaving thousands of pedestrians stranded.

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