Istanbul hit by its worst floods in 80 years as death toll rises to four and thousands are evacuated

Turkey's interior minister Mustafa Ciftci declared Istanbul's flooding the worst since 1942, after 48 hours of rainfall exceeded the combined historical averages for both September and October.

Among the victims of Wednesday night's catastrophic downpour was a 14-year-old who died from electrocution after stepping into a flooded puddle.

More than 2,700 stranded residents were evacuated as 46,000 personnel worked to clear debris across Europe's most populous city of 16 million.

Turkey's environment minister Murat Kurum, who will chair COP31 next month, warned that 'combating climate change is not a choice, but a necessity.'