After a long and wet winter here in Istanbul, where grey, dull and gloomy skies are quite typical, and where you feel the humid chill right in your bones, we finally felt it was a blessing to have the spring. Come May, the judas trees, tulips and all the verdure around the city suddenly created an aura of joy and relaxation (save for the political atmosphere), almost imposing an untimely restfulness.
Unfortunately, that did not last very long. Just as we thought we were easing into the summer we found ourselves hit over the head by temperatures hovering around 25 degrees Celcius, almost as oppressive as it usually gets in August.
That is certainly welcome considering the outrageous heating bills or not having to worry about a summer with dwindling water in the reservoirs(the summer of 2007 is still in memory!).
However, as the specialists indicate, weather anomalies cannot be ignored. With global temperatures rising and the arctic ice pack retreating and becoming thinner, and the antarctic glaciers moving into the ocean more quickly than before (http://www.sciencemag.org/content/348/6237/899), here is some food for thought for those who are interested. The chart below indicates weather anomalies based on data from the NOAA. 
If the trend of the 20th century is any indication, we are heading towards some real hot years.
Las Siete Colinas 