{
  "id": 14675251,
  "title": "Two dead in Istanbul as torrential rain floods Turkish city",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/two-dead-in-istanbul-as-torrential-rain-floods-turkish-city",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T10:23:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National UAE",
    "slug": "the-national-uae",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/10/15/two-dead-in-istanbul-as-torrential-rain-floods-turkish-city/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Torrential rainfall has claimed the lives of two individuals and disrupted life in Istanbul, the Turkish metropolis witnessing its heaviest downpour in nearly eight decades. Istanbul Governor Davut Gul urged the city's 16 million inhabitants to remain indoors unless their journeys were absolutely vital, shutting down schools and prohibiting motorbike usage as 8,000 emergency responders rushed to mitigate the aftermath of several days of relentless rain. \"Rainfall in Istanbul will persist for another two to three days. Do not venture outside unless absolutely necessary,\" Mr Gul stated at a press conference on Thursday morning. He declared it \"the highest level of precipitation recorded in Istanbul since 1942,\" the year records commenced.\n\nNumerous districts of the city had received over 100kg of rain per square meter, equivalent to 100mm, since early Wednesday, as per the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. The Beykoz region of northeastern Istanbul recorded a staggering 242kg per square meter of precipitation. Authorities are probing the tragic demise of a 14-year-old boy who succumbed to electrocution after venturing into a puddle in the Fatih district. He was transported to the hospital unconscious but could not be revived.\n\nA 34-year-old man lost his life after tripping and colliding with a pavement. Footage broadcast by state media depicted cars navigating through flooded streets, homes and mosques submerged, and passengers ensnared in a bus with floodwater up to their knees. \"Roads turned into lakes in many parts of the city,\" reported state broadcaster TRT. At Istanbul Airport, 51 flights were rerouted to alternative airports, while 19 others were cancelled, according to Mr Gul.\n\nThe torrential downpour commenced on Tuesday and persisted into Wednesday. Streets began to inundate as drainage systems were overwhelmed. Istanbul residents were sent text alerts by disaster management services on Wednesday evening, cautioning them to avoid riverbanks and flooded roads. Those residing in basement apartments were advised to take precautions, while power outages disrupted water supplies to homes and businesses in certain parts of the city, despite the relentless rain outside. Emergency services fielded over 1,200 reports of flooding, 15 instances of landslides, 47 calls of people trapped, and two roof collapses, reported the governorship.\n\nHeavy flooding also rendered streets impassable in the coastal city of Antalya on Turkey's Mediterranean shore. The state meteorological service issued warnings of further heavy rain and strong winds across the country on Thursday. Turkey has been grappling with an unusually wet 2026, the meteorological body reported in a climate assessment released in September. Rainfall from January to August had been 54 per cent higher than the 30-year average (1991-2020). A third of the extreme weather events in the first eight months of the year were attributed to heavy rainfall and flooding.",
  "summary": "Torrential rainfall has killed two people and caused chaos across Istanbul, as the Turkish city recorded its highest rainfall in more than 80 years. Istanbul Governor Davut Gul instructed the city’s 16 million residents to stay at home unless outings were absolutely necessary, closed schools and banned motorbikes as 8,000 emergency service workers were sent out to deal with the effects of days of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National Business",
        "title": "Two dead in Istanbul as torrential rain floods Turkish city",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/two-dead-in-istanbul-as-torrential-rain-floods-turkish-city-14675412",
        "published": "2026-10-15T10:23:21.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}