Heavy Rain Floods Istanbul's Asian Side, D-100 Partially Closed

Heavy rain that began overnight continued into Tuesday morning across Istanbul, flooding streets and underpasses on the Asian side. Pendik and Tuzla were among the worst-hit districts, where roads turned into pools and some vehicles became stranded in standing water.

The General Directorate of Meteorology had issued a yellow-code warning for Istanbul for October 27, forecasting heavy rain especially in the morning hours and very heavy rain in parts of the northern districts. The warning also cited strengthening northerly winds, possible short-term storms with gusts of 50 to 70 kilometers per hour, sudden flash floods, flooding, lightning, and transport disruptions.

“We barely escaped. People helped us get out of here.”

In Pendik's Camçeşme neighborhood, an underpass filled with water. Cengiz Bektaş, who was driving to take his daughter to university, said his car stopped inside the underpass. He and his daughter were helped out by bystanders, and Bektaş called a tow truck to remove the vehicle from the water.

Bektaş described the ordeal, saying everyone was passing through, including service minibuses, when his car suddenly stopped. He said they barely escaped and that people helped them get out. He added that he was waiting for the tow truck.

Traffic congestion also developed on major arteries. On the D-100 highway toward Edirne, queues stretched from Kartal to the entrance of the Eurasia Tunnel. In Pendik, two lanes of the coastal road toward Kartal were closed due to water accumulation. Rain was expected to continue during the day.

Authorities urged residents to remain cautious and take precautions against sudden flooding, lightning, strong winds, and possible traffic disruptions.