During the summer season, historical temperatures are being observed. Thermometers around the world have shown temperature records in different geographical regions. This situation also applies to Türkiye. The above-normal temperatures will continue for a while longer.
However, as the summer season is coming to an end, the migration movements of storks herald the winter. Storks migrating from Europe started their journey earlier than usual this year.
We spoke with Dr. Okan Bozyurt, a faculty member of the Department of Geography at Afyon Kocatepe University, about the migration of storks.
Bozyurt, who has been observing stork migration since 1979 and has written articles on this subject, said that according to statistics, storks normally migrate from Europe between August 26 and September 5. This year, however, storks began their migration on August 12-13. He stated, "Observations show that the movement started about 15 days early. They arrived in Thrace and Istanbul. As a result, we can say that the cold winter months of the Northern Hemisphere may come earlier. In some European countries, temperatures have started to cool down earlier than normal. This is a sign of that."
Bozyurt also mentioned that while this year's summer temperatures have been lower than normal in countries like France, Germany, and Belgium, this has led to storks beginning their southward migration earlier than usual. He explained that factors like the North Atlantic Oscillation, Arctic Oscillation, and El Niño also provide important data about this year's temperatures. When examining these types of weather models, it can be predicted that the winter months of 2023-2024 may be quite cold.
"Cold weather events that may go down in history can be seen"
Bozyurt noted that in 2021, storks migrated from Europe to the south on August 16. He suggested that a similar cold weather event could occur in Türkiye during the winter months. Bozyurt stated, "We might see cold weather events that could go down in history during the coming winter. Both Europe and Türkiye may experience cold weather deeply." He pointed out that after storks' early migration, cold and snowy weather has been dominant during winter months and this pattern is consistent with the past.
Bozyurt also mentioned that when observing weather events, sea surface temperatures have risen this year during the summer months. He explained, "Seas won't be able to cool down much this year. However, if the atmosphere gets extremely cold, rapid evaporation will occur on the seas. It seems that especially cities like Istanbul might experience sea-effective snowfall known as 'DEK' precipitation."
Regarding the upcoming days' temperatures, Bozyurt said that towards the end of August, there might be scattered showers, especially in the northern parts of Türkiye. He also added that in September, temperatures may rise above the seasonal norms again.
