Bad weather and torrential rains, which have continued relentlessly over the weekend, have caused more flash floods in northwestern Turkey forcing the authorities to mount a major rescue operation using helicopters, which resulted in the evacuation of more than 300 workers from a factory roof.

Sadly, regions facing the Black Sea are likely to be subjected to even worse weather in coming days. Officials have revealed that the provinces of Trabzon and Rize face a high risk of flooding on September 14, the Turkish Hurriyet has reported.

The eastern provinces of Erzurum, Kars and Agrı, the southern provinces of Adana and Mersin, and the central provinces of Nigde and Kayseri, are also expected to be severely battered by the weather as forecasters predict a severe deluge later on September 14.  Residents of Canakkale in Marmara province have also been informed of the likelihood of strong winds, intense precipitation and possible flooding to come, NTV news has said.

Thunderstorms are also expected in the Black Sea provinces of Sinop, Samsun, Ordu and Giresun later on September 14 and for most of the week.

The Turkish ATV television said that the Turkish military was heavily involved in rescue missions over the weekend, and that tanks and heavy mechanised equipment had also been used to rescue beleaguered residents.

Reportedly more than 4000 houses were flooded in Kumbag on September 12 and people returned to clean up their homes on Sunday. At least one bridge collapsed near the town of Kesan on the Greek border.

Apart from the heavy precipitation, the flood’s strength was boosted considerably as the Naip River burst its banks. Floods over the weekend were reported as far afield as Izmir, Antalya, Balikesir and Avsa.

The flooding started late on September 9 when the region was subjected to the heaviest rainfall in more than eight decades, sending torrents cascading across a major highway and into busy business districts in Turkey's largest city.
 
The flash floods in Istanbul claimed the life of at least one Bulgarian citizen, Dragovest Goranov.
 
According to information, the young male had been hitchhiking in a Turkish car, which was dragged and submerged by currents. The man’s next of kin have been informed and are currently en route to Turkey to identify the body.

Rising water levels flooded hundreds of homes and offices and cut off the TEM highway, which connects central Istanbul to the sprawling city's main airport and continues to Greece and Bulgaria.
 
Rescue crews in helicopters extracted trapped people off rooftops in Ikitelli, a commercial and corporate headquarters district about 20km from the Bosporus strait, which divides the European and Asian parts of Turkey.

Torrential rains and bad weather have also affected neighbouring Greece. On the Greek island of Evia, flash floods killed one police officer, according to reports from Greek media. Reportedly, heavy rain and runoffs inundated homes, workplaces and blocked several main roads. A bridge was also destroyed.

The police officer died after his car was swept off a flood-stricken road, Greek media reports. Authorities then dispatched helicopters to help assist stranded people. Floods also caused damages in other parts of the country as well. Infrastructure and houses were damaged in the Lefkadi village near the Chalkida town, northeast of Athens, on September 12, 2009. Those same areas had been ravaged by devastating forest fires just weeks earlier.