Study finds heat waves in Türkiye at strongest levels in 75 years
12:47, 27/07/2026, MondayU: Update: 12:48, 27/07/2026, Monday
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Heat waves in Türkiye have sharply intensified over the past 75 years, with 2023 and 2025 recording the most intense events, according to an ITU study. Researchers warn of a fundamental shift in the country's climate regime.
Heat waves in Türkiye have sharply intensified over the past 75 years, with the summers of 2023 and 2025 recording the most intense events on record, according to a study by Istanbul Technical University researchers. The study, presented at the European Geosciences Union conference, analyzed heat waves between 1950 and 2025 using the Heat Wave Magnitude Index daily.
Record Temperatures and Intensity
Average summer temperatures climbed from 22-23°C during 1970-90 to 24-25°C after warming accelerated in the early 2000s, reaching a record 26.1°C in 2024. While 2024 was the hottest summer on record, its heat waves were less intense than those in 2023 and 2025, showing that record-high seasonal temperatures do not necessarily coincide with the most intense heat waves.
Future Projections
The researchers estimated that under a high-emissions scenario, the annual number of heat wave days could rise substantially. By 2051-80, Istanbul and Ankara could see about 38 heat wave days per year, Antalya and Konya 40 days, and Izmir 53 days, up from an average of three to five days between 1976 and 2005.