Turkey records all-time high temperature of 50.5 degrees celsius

Southeastern Turkey has recorded an all-time high temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius (122.9 Fahrenheit), authorities announced.

“According to data from the General Directorate of Meteorology, the high-temperature record was broken with 50.5°C in Şırnak’s Cizre district on July 25,” the Ministry of Environment stated in a post on the X platform.

Turkey's environment ministry said Saturday that meteorologists had registered a reading of 50.5C in the southeast of the country, a nationwide record.

The record temperature was registered on Friday at Silopi, the ministry said in a post on X.

And across the country, 132 weather stations had registered record temperatures for the month of July, the statement added.

Silopi, in the province of Sirnak, sits just 10 kilometres (six miles) from Turkey's borders with Iraq and Syria.

The previous heat record in temperature, recorded in August 2023, was 49.5C.

The country is currently in the grip of a heatwave and is fighting fires in a number of regions.

Firefighters have been struggling for four days to contain one in the northern Karabuk province, forcing the evacuation of several villagers.

On Wednesday, 10 people perished fighting a fire in Eskisehir province.

The heatwave, which is expected to last several days more, has forced some local authourities to announce restrictions on water consumption, including the seaside resort of Cesme, near Izmir on Turkey's west coast.

Neighbouring Greece is also suffering a heatwave and battling fires in several parts of the country.