Daily life in Istanbul was disrupted on Saturday by torrential rains which caused widespread flooding across the city, including the well-known İstiklal Avenue, ‘Hurriyet’ reports.
Photographs shared on the social media showed shopkeepers trying to keep the water away from their shops, while pedestrians had difficulty walking through the shopping and entertainment district.
Many people have blamed Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, which recently carried out works on İstiklal Street, replacing the cobblestone parts of the street with asphalt paving, for the flooding of the street.
Elsewhere in Istanbul, a tornado was observed in Kasımpaşa neighbourhood on the European side with no casualties or major damage reported. Floods also hit the Asian side of the city, disrupting traffic in Üsküdar neighbourhood.
At least three people were injured in traffic accidents across the city caused by the rains and floods.
Meteorology experts have warned that heavy rains are expected in western Turkey throughout the weekend.
