Turkey swelters under soaring heatwave as temperatures expected to go higher

Istanbul residents looked for ways to cool off on Wednesday as temperatures soared in the city.

Weather forecasters warned that the mercury would reach 36 degrees Celsius in Turkey's largest city, with some densely populated districts experiencing “feels like” temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius.

Dozens of men, women and children tried to get respite from the heat by swimming in the Bosporus, the iconic strait that separates the city into Asia and Europe. Others sat and napped in the shade nearby.

In the historic district across town, restaurant workers shaded themselves with large umbrellas while calling out to customers to drum up business. Some eateries offered cooling mists of water for passers-by and patrons.

Meteorologists said temperatures were 4 to 5 degrees Celsius above normal nationwide and that the heat wave would continue for another week.

Human-caused climate change is responsible for killing about 1,500 people in last week's European heat wave, a first-of-its-kind rapid study found. Of the 1,500 deaths attributed to climate change, the study found more than 1,100 were people 75 or older.

The effects of climate change are increasingly visible across Africa, with frequent flooding, cyclones, and higher temperatures being experienced.