In Türkiye, which has been at risk of drought due to reduced rainfall and increasing temperatures in recent years, the month of May brought signs of relief with an increase in precipitation in the largest part of the country, a recent report published by the country's meteorology directorate revealed.
In six regions across Türkiye, excluding the southeast, the precipitation levels in May were the highest compared to the average levels between 1991 and 2020.
Additionally, the rainfall in May levels was higher than that of the previous year.
According to the precipitation report released by the General Directorate of Meteorology for May 2023, an average of 66.8 kilograms of precipitation per square meter was recorded across Türkiye.
Based on the data, the precipitation in May thus exceeded the normal levels recorded between 1991 and 2020, which stood at 52.7 kilograms.
It also surpassed last year's May precipitation of 44.4 kilograms, indicating an increase of 51% and an overall increase of 27%, as per data.
In recent years, Türkiye has experienced a significant decrease in precipitation, accompanied by increasing temperatures and a noticeable decline in water levels in lakes and wetlands.
These conditions have considerably raised concerns about drought in the country, although the water conservation measures and new action plans for the protection of wetlands have been often highlighted by the authorities.
However, the substantial increase in precipitation in large parts of the country during both April and May and the increase in dam levels have provided some relief ahead of the summer season.
While the Aegean region received more than double the average rainfall, the second-highest rainfall in the past 63 years was recorded in this region.
More than a 100% increase in precipitation was witnessed in 14 Turkish provinces, particularly in the southern and southwestern areas, including the famed summer destinations of Antalya and Muğla.
Other provinces where the rainfall surged by 100% include Kütahya, Manisa, Izmir, Aydın, Uşak, Denizli, Burdur, Afyon, Çankırı, Ankara, Erzincan and Tunceli.
In comparison, two of the provinces devastated by the February earthquakes – Hatay, Şanlıurfa and its neighboring Mardin – witnessed a drop, with a decrease of more than 60% in rainfall.
While the highest precipitation was experienced in Uşak with 150.8 kilograms per square meter, the province with the least precipitation was Mardin with 14.5 kilograms.
In the provinces of Antalya, Burdur, Afyonkarahisar, Denizli, Kütahya and Uşak, the highest May precipitation in the past 63 years took place. The province with the highest decrease compared to the average rainfall rates was Hatay with 74%.
The average number of rainy days in Türkiye, which was 10.2 days in 1991-2020, increased to an average of 13.8 in May 2023.
The number of rainy days was determined as 20-25 days in Afyonkarahisar, Uşak, Isparta, Kütahya, Ordu, Giresun, Artvin and Ardahan provinces, while the coastal part of Aegean and the southern part of the Mediterranean, as well as Istanbul and Hatay, had approximately five to 10 rainy days.
At 49.6 kilograms per square meter, the precipitation recorded in the Marmara region in May increased by more than 100% year-over-year since compared to 18 kilograms of rain per square meter recorded a year ago. At the same time, compared to the overall precipitation for May of 45.1 kilograms per square meter, the last month's rainfall surged by 10% in general.
Similarly, large amounts of rain fell over the Aegean, topping 95.5 kilograms compared to last year's 21.2 kilograms per square meter in May.
Precipitation in May increased by 52% overall in the Mediterranean and by 84% when looking at May's data. According to the report, 66.6 kilograms per square meter of rain fell this May, compared to 36.2 kilograms per square meter witnessed last year.
Meanwhile, the precipitation levels in May surged in other regions, including the Black Sea and the central Anatolian region, where the figure rose to the same extent, by 56% year-over-year, the report highlighted.
The lowest rise in monthly rainfall was seen in eastern Anatolia, with an increase of 8%. On the other hand, the only region that showed a decrease was the southeastern Anatolian region, where the rainfall dropped by 57% compared to May last year.
