Strong winds complicate wildfire fight across western Türkiye
Strong winds gusting up to 70 kilometers per hour are expected to continue across western Türkiye on July 31, hampering efforts to contain ongoing wildfires and raising the risk of new outbreaks as firefighters battle blazes amid extreme heat.
The Turkish State Meteorological Service issued yellow-level wind warnings — the lowest of its four alert levels, indicating potentially hazardous conditions requiring caution — for 11 provinces, including Istanbul and Izmir, forecasting gale force winds of 50-70 kilometers per hour along the Marmara and northern Aegean coasts through the weekend. Combined with high temperatures and dry conditions, the weather is creating favorable conditions for fires to spread rapidly and reignite in areas where flames had previously been brought under control.
Temperatures are expected to reach 41 degrees Celsius in Aydın and 37 degrees in Muğla, further increasing wildfire danger.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said authorities responded to 169 fires nationwide over the past day, including 110 outside forested areas, with 163 now fully contained.
