There has not been such a snowfall in 50 years in Istanbul, Turkey

Bad weather strands vehicles around the city and suspends flights from metropolis’s largest airport. Turkish authorities in Istanbul dispatched troops to clear highways and ordered military helicopters to shuttle the sick to hospital, as the country’s largest city was blanketed in unusually heavy snow that brought transport to a nearly complete standstill. A temporary ban on motorcycles and private vehicles came into effect on Tuesday morning following the snowfall the night before. Schools and shopping centres were also shut as the public was urged to stay home amid warnings of more freezing weather in the coming days.