The high mountain regions of Turkey's Rize district, located on the Black Sea coast in the northeastern part of the country, woke up under a blanket of snow - an unusual sight for the end of September. According to TRT Haber and regional media, the rain that fell during the day turned into snow at night, with the snow cover reaching up to 10 centimeters in places, BTA reports.
The most affected are the Avusor and Kavron plateaus in the Çamlıkhemşin municipality, where shepherds still live. Residents say that although such phenomena are not unknown in the region, such early snowfall always causes surprise.
The website TurkishTourismNews published footage of the snow-covered slopes, describing them as “winter landscapes in the middle of autumn“. Locals say that while the snow has not caused any major problems, it has affected livestock grazing and hastened preparations for their return to lower pastures.
The contrast in the country is palpable, with southern Turkey battling heatwaves and forest fires, while northeastern Rize is demonstrating how diverse and unpredictable Turkey's climate is.
Meteorologists note that the high terrain and proximity to the Black Sea predispose to sudden changes in weather. They warn that such extreme events may become more frequent due to global climate change.
Historically early snowfalls have been recorded before - in 2015 in early October and in 2020 as early as late September. Locals say that such “early winters” occur once every ten years or so and are a clear sign that the herd-harvesting season is coming earlier than expected.