Istanbul Under Orange Flood Alert as New Storm Hits After Deadly Rain

Istanbul and four neighbouring provinces were placed under an orange-code heavy-rain warning on October 17, 2026, as a new storm system moved over the Marmara region, Turkish outlets NTV and Sözcü reported. The alert followed a separate, record-breaking rainfall event earlier in the week that had already flooded parts of the city and killed several people.

Where the orange alert applies

According to NTV, the Meteorology General Directorate issued warnings for 36 provinces, with five assigned the highest, orange-level code: Istanbul, Bursa, Kocaeli, Sakarya and Yalova. The remaining 31 provinces received a lower, yellow-code warning. Sözcü reported that the Istanbul Governor's Office specifically declared the orange alert for the Anatolian Side of the city, with rain forecast to start around 18:00 and intensify overnight into Saturday afternoon.

• Beykoz
• Şile
• Ümraniye
• Pendik
• Tuzla
• Sancaktepe
• Çekmeköy
• Sultanbeyli

Sözcü named the eight Anatolian Side districts listed above as facing the highest local risk, with expected rainfall of 50 to 100 kilograms per square metre — a unit Turkish meteorologists use that is roughly equivalent to millimetres of rain. NTV separately reported that Istanbul as a whole could see up to 100 kg/m² of rain, and quoted officials warning that "the danger has not passed."

A second wave after a deadly first storm

The new alert followed flooding on October 15 that Turkish and international outlets described as the heaviest rain Istanbul had seen in decades. The National reported that Istanbul Governor Davut Gul called it the highest precipitation level recorded in the city since 1942, with some areas receiving up to 242 millimetres of rain. NTV, reporting separately on the same earlier event, cited a figure of 278 kg/m² and described it as breaking an 84-year rainfall record.

Death tolls given for that earlier storm also varied by source and by the time the count was taken. The National reported three deaths as of October 15: a 14-year-old boy electrocuted after stepping into a puddle in Istanbul's Fatih district, a 34-year-old who died in a fall, and an unidentified man found near Kağıthane Creek. Al Jazeera's report on the same day specified that the 14-year-old died in the Balat neighbourhood of Fatih. NTV, in its later report on the new alert, put the toll from the earlier rain at four.

Scale of the earlier disaster

The National reported that roughly 3,000 people were pulled from flooded areas and that 8,000 emergency workers were deployed across Istanbul. Sözcü separately cited figures of 622 people rescued and 11,526 emergency responses citywide from the earlier flooding. Al Jazeera reported more than 2,500 weather-related incident calls, including 1,277 flood reports, 15 landslides and 47 people stranded, with over 800 homes, 280 businesses and 76 vehicles damaged. Two hospitals and a metro station also suffered flooding or leaks, according to Al Jazeera.

Disruption to transport and daily life

Sözcü reported that several Istanbul ferry routes were cancelled ahead of Saturday's orange alert, including the Kadıköy–Karaköy line from 21:00 and the Beykoz–Sarıyer line from 18:55. The National reported that during the earlier storm, 51 flights were diverted and 19 cancelled at Istanbul Airport, and that power cuts had disrupted water supplies in parts of the city. Al Jazeera reported that the Istanbul governor's office suspended school classes citywide on the day of the earlier flooding.

What officials are telling residents

NTV reported that Environment Minister Murat Kurum said rainfall "will continue" and urged residents to follow meteorological warnings and avoid risky situations, while Sözcü quoted Kurum confirming the orange alert would run from Saturday evening into the following afternoon. Sondakika reported that nationwide guidance also covers provinces beyond the Marmara region, including parts of the Black Sea coast (Zonguldak, Bartın, Düzce, northern Kastamonu), the south and west (Antalya, Burdur, Isparta, İzmir, Aydın, Manisa, Denizli, Uşak, Kütahya) and central Anatolia (Ankara, Çankırı, Kırıkkale, Bolu), with authorities warning of flash flooding, lightning and strong winds and advising people to avoid creek beds.