16 December 2009 / TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL
Cold veather has paralyzed eastern Turkey, with temperatures dropping to minus 20 degrees Celsius in some places on Monday night, the State Meteorology Affairs General Directorate (DMİ) has reported. A cold front moved into Turkey from Siberia, causing temperatures to drop in the east.
The coldest temperatures were recorded in Erzurum, reaching minus 20 degrees Celsius on Monday night. In Ardahan, the temperature dipped to minus 18 degrees Celsius, and the temperature in Kars fell to minus 17 degrees Celsius. An Artvin road in Camili was closed to traffic due to heavy snow and fog.Due to the severe conditions, drivers had difficulty controlling their vehicles because of ice on the roads. Municipal officials in the areas that were hit with snow cleared roads to try to prevent icing. Meanwhile, schools in the southern province of Antalya will be closed today due to a storm.
