The Daily Populous Sunday July 27th, 2025 night edition
Authored by turkiyetoday.com and submitted by Akamaikai

Tourists seek shade from the sun as they walk through Taksim Square in Istanbul, Türkiye, amid sweltering heat, June 18, 2025. (IHA Photo)

Türkiye established a new all-time European temperature record Friday when the southeastern province of Sirnak recorded 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 degrees Fahrenheit), according to data from the Turkish State Meteorological Service.

The record-breaking temperature was measured in Silopi district of Sirnak province, surpassing the previous continental European record of 48.8 degrees Celsius set in Sicily, Italy, in August 2021.

Orange sky with bright sun and thermometer showing high temperature, accessed July 26, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)

Record temperature surpasses previous European high

The World Meteorological Organization had officially verified the Italian record in January 2024 after an exhaustive evaluation process that included independent analysis and calibration of the Sicilian sensor and its associated datalogger and solar shield.

The previous continental European record of 48 degrees Celsius had been held jointly by the Greek cities of Athens and Elefsina from July 10, 1977. That record was based on official government sources and included in the WMO Archive of Global Weather and Climate Extremes when it was formed in 2007, though it lacked the independent WMO verification that the recent Italian temperature received.

A woman protecting herself from the sun with a hat spends time at the Uskudar Salacak beach on a hot summer day in Istanbul, Türkiye, July 23, 2025. (AA Photo)

Extreme heat affects 31 provinces across the country

Temperatures exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in 31 Turkish provinces Friday, with readings taken in shade conditions at 2 meters above ground level, according to meteorological data. The Turkish State Meteorological Service reported that nationwide temperatures are running 6-12 degrees above seasonal averages.

The provinces experiencing temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius included Sirnak, Mardin, Siirt, Sanliurfa, Batman, Diyarbakir, Gaziantep, Kilis, Antalya, Adiyaman, Mugla, Hatay, Kahramanmaras, Aydin, Izmir, Denizli, Adana, Bingol, Elazig, Manisa, Burdur, Balikesir, Eskisehir, Tunceli, Edirne, Mersin, Malatya, Usak, Canakkale, Osmaniye and Mus.

Orange sky with sun and thermometer showing high temperature, accessed on July 26, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)

Geographic significance for European climate records

Türkiye's geographic position spanning both Europe and Asia makes this temperature significant for European climate records, as the country contains territory classified within the WMO's European region. Because WMO Region VI (Europe) contains parts of Asia, including Israel, Türkiye and Syria, as well as Greenland, the WMO categorizes extremes with records for both the region as a whole and for "continental" Europe specifically.

The WMO's rigorous verification process for temperature extremes involves meticulous evaluation to provide critical confidence that global temperature records are properly measured. When the organization verified Sicily's 48.8 degrees Celsius reading, experts determined that a very strong upper-level ridge was in place over the region at the time of the extreme temperature, with data from reanalyses and nearby sites supporting the observation.

The extreme temperatures come amid a broader pattern of rising heat across the region, with meteorological services warning of continued above-normal temperatures. The WMO has noted that the extremes presented for adjudication represent snapshots of the current climate, with officials indicating greater extremes may occur across Europe in the future.

Mobius650 on July 26th, 2025 at 18:37 UTC »

It was 35C with high humidity where I live and many people were hospitalized due to heatstroke. 50C is straight up hell.

Exceptionaltomato on July 26th, 2025 at 17:37 UTC »

Guy from Antalya here. Yesterday I happened to be in the middle of a bushfire while riding my motorbike. Both sides of the road were on fire for a stretch of roughly 20 meters. I passed through and didn't feel the heat of fire or anything different other than the smoke. It was that hot.

Happy_Feet333 on July 26th, 2025 at 17:32 UTC »

That's unliveable.

Completely unliveable.