Torrential rains caused flash floods Tuesday morning in Izmir, blocking main arteries in the downtown area and surrounding districts of Aliağa, Foça and Dikili.
Calling the situation a disaster, the municipality urged residents to not leave their homes unless necessary.
Teams of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality are working around the clock to drain excess water.
Some streams in the Balçova district overflowed and many residences and businesses in Karabağlar and Bayraklı were especially hit hard by the floods, Ihlas News Agency (IHA) cited firefighters as saying.
Vehicles got stuck in the muddy waters, causing traffic jams in the early morning rush hours, Daily Sabah reported.
The Meteorology Directorate had previously warned of heavy rainfall for the province, which had started during the night and gradually increased its effectiveness.
