Climate
See also: Climate of TurkeyTurkey's diverse regions have different climates, with the weather system on the coasts contrasting with that prevailing in the interior. The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts have cool, rainy winters and hot, moderately dry summers. Annual precipitation in those areas varies from 580 to 1,300 millimeters (22.8 to 51.2 in), depending on location. Generally, rainfall is less to the east. The Black Sea coast receives the greatest amount of precipitation and is the only region of Turkey that receives high precipitation throughout the year. The eastern part of that coast averages 2,500 millimeters (98.4 in) annually which is the highest precipitation in the country.
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Ankara
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Antalya
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Istanbul
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Van
Mountains close to the coast prevent Mediterranean influences from extending inland, giving the interior of Turkey a continental climate with distinct seasons. The Anatolian Plateau is much more subject to extremes than are the coastal areas. Winters on the plateau are especially severe. Temperatures of -30 to -40 °C (-22 to -40 °F) can occur in the mountainous areas in the east, and snow may lie on the ground 120 days of the year. In the west, winter temperatures average below 1 °C (33.8 °F). Summers are hot and dry, with temperatures above 30 °C (86 °F). Annual precipitation averages about 400 millimeters (15.7 in), with actual amounts determined by elevation. The driest regions are the Konya Ovasi and the Malatya Ovasi, where annual rainfall frequently is less than 300 millimeters (11.8 in). May is generally the wettest month and July and August the driest.
The climate of the Anti-Taurus Mountain region of eastern Turkey can be inhospitable. Summers tend to be hot and extremely dry. Winters are bitterly cold with frequent, heavy snowfall. Villages can be isolated for several days during winter storms. Spring and autumn are generally mild, but during both seasons sudden hot and cold spells frequently occur.
| Regions | Average Temp. | Record High Temp. | Record Low Temp. | Average Hum. | Average Prec. | ||||
| Marmara Region | 13.5 | 56.3 | 44.6 | 112.3 | -27.8 | -18.0 | 71.2 % | 564.3 | 22.2 |
| Aegean Region | 15.4 | 59.7 | 48.5 | 119.3 | -45.6 | -50.1 | 60.9 % | 706.0 | 27.8 |
| Mediterranean Region | 16.4 | 61.5 | 45.6 | 114.1 | -33.5 | -28.3 | 63.9 % | 706.0 | 27.8 |
| Black Sea Region | 12.3 | 54.1 | 44.2 | 111.6 | -32.8 | -27.0 | 70.9 % | 828.5 | 32.6 |
| Central Anatolia | 10.6 | 51.1 | 41.8 | 107.2 | -36.2 | -33.2 | 62.6 % | 392.0 | 15.4 |
| East Anatolia | 9.7 | 49.5 | 44.4 | 111.9 | -45.6 | -50.1 | 60.9 % | 569.0 | 22.4 |
| Southeast Anatolia | 16.5 | 61.7 | 48.4 | 119.1 | -24.3 | -11.7 | 53.4 % | 584.5 | 23.0 |
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Read more about this topic: Geography Of Turkey
Famous quotes containing the word climate:
“Nobody is so constituted as to be able to live everywhere and anywhere; and he who has great duties to perform, which lay claim to all his strength, has, in this respect, a very limited choice. The influence of climate upon the bodily functions ... extends so far, that a blunder in the choice of locality and climate is able not only to alienate a man from his actual duty, but also to withhold it from him altogether, so that he never even comes face to face with it.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“Is not their climate foggy, raw, and dull,
On whom, as in despite, the sun looks pale,
Killing their fruit with frowns?”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“A tree is beautiful, but what’s more, it has a right to life; like water, the sun and the stars, it is essential. Life on earth is inconceivable without trees. Forests create climate, climate influences peoples’ character, and so on and so forth. There can be neither civilization nor happiness if forests crash down under the axe, if the climate is harsh and severe, if people are also harsh and severe.... What a terrible future!”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)