Istanbulites brace for hail with blankets, rugs, cardboards

Istanbulites prepared for an expected strong hail on Oct. 8, covering their parked cars with household fabrics like blankets and rugs, as well as cardboard boxes and bubble wrap. The city experienced sudden hail on Sept. 29, which caught most Istanbulites off-guard.

Duvar English

Istanbulites and residents of western Turkey braced for an expected strong hail on Oct. 8, covering their vehicles with materials that would provide protection.

While blankets and rugs were a popular and practical choice of cover, some car owners opted for cheaper materials like cardboards and bubble wrap.

Occupied mostly by apartment buildings, Istanbul is rather scarce for parking, with residents struggling to find spots on the streets, let alone at parking lots.

As hail warnings have been going out all week, some Istanbulites were able to move their cars to closed parking lots, most commonly under shopping malls.

The city experienced unexpected hail fall on Sept. 29, which caught most Istanbulites off-guard, surprising many with the size of the ice that fell.

Often said to experience all four seasons, Istanbul has been suffering from the climate crisis in recent years, experiencing extraordinary weather events like tornadoes, out-of-season precipitation and irregular temperatures.

Topics Turkey Istanbul Turkish Istanbulites western Turkey hail Istanbul weather Turkey weather