Strong winds, heavy rains batter southern Turkey's Antalya
Waves crash into the cliffs of downtown Antalya during a storm, in southern Turkey, Dec. 30, 2021. (IHA Photo)


Winds of up to 170 kph (105 mph) and heavy rainfall hit the southern Turkish province of Antalya on Thursday, causing damage to infrastructure and disrupting traffic.

Following an alert from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS) about a storm approaching from the southwest, the Antalya Governorate announced a one-day closure of educational institutes in the Kemer, Kumluca and Finike districts, while local municipality crews took precautions.

Despite efforts, several streets, homes and businesses were flooded in downtown Antalya and other nearby towns, with power outages affecting several neighborhoods. Objects falling from rooftops damaged four cars in the Kepez district.

Damaged cars are seen after getting hit by falling objects from a roof in the Kepez district in Antalya, southern Turkey, Dec. 30, 2021. (AA Photo)

Soaring water levels in the Çandır and Boğa streams flowing into the Gulf of Antalya at the city's famous Konyaaltı Beach flooded bridges, blocking roads leading to the Hurma and Çakırlar neighborhoods.

The sea at Konyaaltı Beach turned muddy due to the storm, while waves crashing into Antalya's famous cliff were as high as 30 meters (98.4 feet).

The road connecting the ancient city of Olympos (Çıralı) to the Antalya-Kumuca highway was also closed to traffic due to waterlogging.

The road connecting Olympos to Antalya-Kumluca highway is submerged, in southern Turkey, Dec. 30, 2021. (AA Photo)

The winds blowing from the southeast were measured at 173 kph off the coast of the resort town of Kemer, 115 kph in downtown Antalya and 107 kph in the Konyaaltı area. Several fishing boats capsized.

Higher locations in the Korkuteli and Elmalı districts, including the Saklıkent Skiing Resort, received snowfall.

Adverse weather conditions are expected to affect the region until noon on Friday.