Eastern Anatolia enters a period of severe cold with the start of the new year.

Axar.az reports that on the night of January 4, temperatures in the Tekman district of Erzurum province hit a record low of -33.1°C.

Turkiye’s General Directorate of Meteorology declared Hacıomer village in Erzurum as “the coldest spot in the country over the past 24 hours.”

Rivers and lakes have frozen, and residents are advised to stay indoors unless necessary.

In other regions, temperatures reached -28.8°C in Göle (Ardahan), -27.8°C in Çayırlı (Erzincan), -26.6°C in Çaldıran (Van), and -22.1°C in Sarıkamış (Kars).

Severe cold is expected to persist in eastern Turkiye until January 8.