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Record-breaking heat in last 106 years observed in Istanbul, temperatures will soon drop

 Turkey

Pigeons gather near a bowl filled with water to cool off at Ortaköy Square, with Istanbul landmarks Grand Mecidiye Mosque and July 15 Martyrs Bridge (Bosporus Bridge) in the background, on June 30, 2017. Photo: Sabah, Kübra Usta

As the whole of Turkey is under the effect of the heat wave coming from North Africa, a record heat of 37.2 degrees Celsius (98.96°F) was observed in Istanbul.

Meteorological engineer Adil Tek, the head of the meteorology laboratory of the Boğaziçi University's Kandilli Observatory, told Turkish daily Habertürk that temperatures on Friday were the highest in 106 years of temperature recordings, and a new record is also expected for Saturday.

Streets of Istanbul were almost deserted as thermometers reached up to 37°C on Saturday. High levels of humidity nearing 50 percent caused temperatures to be felt as high as 45°C.