Research Article

Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025)

Number: 89 June 30, 2026
TR EN

Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025)

Abstract

his study examines the climatology, trends, and atmospheric environmental controls of thunderstorm days (TSDs) in Türkiye during 2005–2025 using 23 METAR stations with continuous 24-hour observations. TSD series derived from hourly reports were analysed at monthly, seasonal, annual, and diurnal scales. Trends were assessed with the Hamed-Rao modified Mann-Kendall test and Sen’s slope, with false discovery rate correction and homogeneity tests used to evaluate robustness. Relationships between TSD and environmental variables from ERA5 and ERA5-Land were examined using Spearman correlation and multiple regression. Results show that Türkiye does not exhibit a single thunderstorm regime. Inland and high-elevation stations are characterized by a late- spring to early-summer maximum, whereas parts of the southern and southwestern coasts experience a longer convective season extending into the cold half of the year. Thunderstorm observations are predominantly daytime events nationally, but nighttime activity is relatively more important at coastal stations. Trend results are spatially heterogeneous; after multiple-testing correction, only the annual increase at Ankara remains statistically robust. Environmental analyses indicate that the K-index and convective precipitation explain interannual TSD variability more consistently than CAPE, while surface warming alone does not account for observed changes. Overall, the study provides a statistically cautious framework for understanding thunderstorm climatology in Türkiye.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Confilict of Interest: The authors declare that there is no conf lict of interest. Ethics Committee

Thanks

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Iowa State University Iowa Environmental Mesonet for providing access to the METAR archive used in this study. The authors also thank the Copernicus Climate Change Service and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) for providing open access to the ERA5 and ERA5-Land reanalysis datasets. These resources constituted the core observational and environmental data foundation of the present analysis.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Physical Geography

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2026

Submission Date

April 13, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 7, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 89

APA
Keserci, F., & Başpınar, M. (2026). Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025). Türk Coğrafya Dergisi, 89, 161-183. https://doi.org/10.17211/tcd.1929043
AMA
1.Keserci F, Başpınar M. Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025). Turk Geog. Rev. 2026;(89):161-183. doi:10.17211/tcd.1929043
Chicago
Keserci, Ferhat, and Muhammed Başpınar. 2026. “Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025)”. Türk Coğrafya Dergisi, nos. 89: 161-83. https://doi.org/10.17211/tcd.1929043.
EndNote
Keserci F, Başpınar M (June 1, 2026) Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025). Türk Coğrafya Dergisi 89 161–183.
IEEE
[1]F. Keserci and M. Başpınar, “Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025)”, Turk Geog. Rev., no. 89, pp. 161–183, June 2026, doi: 10.17211/tcd.1929043.
ISNAD
Keserci, Ferhat - Başpınar, Muhammed. “Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025)”. Türk Coğrafya Dergisi. 89 (June 1, 2026): 161-183. https://doi.org/10.17211/tcd.1929043.
JAMA
1.Keserci F, Başpınar M. Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025). Turk Geog. Rev. 2026;:161–183.
MLA
Keserci, Ferhat, and Muhammed Başpınar. “Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025)”. Türk Coğrafya Dergisi, no. 89, June 2026, pp. 161-83, doi:10.17211/tcd.1929043.
Vancouver
1.Ferhat Keserci, Muhammed Başpınar. Climatology, Trends, and Atmospheric Environmental Controls of Thunderstorm Days in Türkiye Based on 24-Hour METAR Observations (2005–2025). Turk Geog. Rev. 2026 Jun. 1;(89):161-83. doi:10.17211/tcd.1929043

Publisher: Türk Coğrafya Kurumu / Turkish Geographical Society