Malatya Faces Week of Heavy Rain, Thunderstorms, Yellow Alerts

The 13th Regional Meteorology Directorate issued consecutive forecasts from 2 to 12 October warning of heavy, thundery showers across Malatya province. Temperatures were expected to remain below seasonal norms during the first week, with highs between 17 and 23 °C, before rising to near-normal levels around 22–24 °C by 9–12 October.

On 6 October the Directorate upgraded the warning to a yellow alert for Pütürge, Doğanyol, Kale, and Doğanşehir districts, citing risk of flash floods, waterlogging, lightning, local hail, and winds gusting up to 60 km/h. Dust transport was also noted, reducing visibility and air quality.

“Citizens should be cautious and take precautions against possible adverse effects of heavy rain.”

By 12 October the yellow alert expanded to 13 provinces across southeastern Turkey, including Adıyaman, Bingöl, Diyarbakır, Elazığ, Gaziantep, Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Mardin, Tunceli, Şanlıurfa, Batman, Kilis, and Osmaniye. Malatya city centre and nine districts — Battalgazi, Akçadağ, Doğanşehir, Doğanyol, Kale, Pütürge, Yazıhan, and Yeşilyurt — were forecast to receive strong thundery downpours, while Arapgir, Arguvan, Darende, Hekimhan, and Kuluncak faced lighter showers.

Authorities urged residents in warned districts to monitor updates, avoid low-lying areas during heavy rain, and take precautions against sudden flooding and transport disruptions.