Parts of Istanbul were cut off by rising waters and many shops and workplaces were flooded out. Many roads across the city were cut, disrupting traffic and causing lengthy delays, especially on the approaches to the Bosphorus and Sultan Mehmet Bridges across the strait.

High winds compounded the traffic snarls, as many of Istanbul’s ferry services had to be cancelled during the storms.

High winds also caused the cancellation of ferry services in the Dardanelles strait for part of Tuesday, with boats to the offshore islands also being halted.

Further rain is expected on Wednesday in Turkey’s north western, western, south western and central provinces, according to a weather warning issued by the State Meteorological Institute.

While the rain will ease Thursday, a cold weather front is expected to move into the country, causing a drop in temperatures.