Istanbul has broken a 106-year temperature record high amid a heat wave that is now receding allowing the weather to become more clement.
The head of Boğaziçi University Kandilli meteorological observatory, Adil Tek, told Turkish daily Hürriyet that the 37.2 Celsius degrees observed in Istanbul on June 29 was recorded for the first time in 106 years.
“This means a record has been broken. We are waiting for another record,” Tek said.
Officials urged Istanbul residents to avoid staying outdoors between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m..
The warning is particularly addressed to children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses who must avoid direct exposure to sunlight. 
Many locals reeling from the high temperatures were seen trying to cool down by taking a dip along the shores of the Bosphorus Strait, the daily added.
Meteorologists predicted Turkey would start to cool off with rain starting on July 3. Moving in from the northwest, rainfall will reach the western Marmara region on July 4, according to the general directorate of meteorology. By the middle of the week, the rainy weather will move into the Black Sea region.
Temperatures will initially fall about 6-7 degrees Celsius and will eventually reach seasonal norms.
Source: BNA