This weeks round of the local news is nearly all about the worst storm for many years to hit the area.

Treasure Crisis

Every year a group of local treasure hunters using metal detectors descends on Ölüdeniz Beach at the end of the season, to retrieve jewellery and money lost by tourists.

The group told the press this week that this year their finds were down.

They said it was because of the economic crisis, which had led to tourists leaving gold jewellery safe in their hotel rooms rather than wearing it to the beach.

Is there no end to the things which can be blamed on the global recession?

Fierce Storms Strike Area

The rest of the week’s headlines focused on the weather – we could almost be back in the UK. Except it is heavy rain and mudslides, rather than snow and ice, which feature most here.

It all began on Tuesday night when the storm hit Arsa Köy (a village located above Saklıkent Gorge) destroying almost 8-acres of grape vines and causing huge mudslides which shut the only road to the village.

Meanwhile Çukurincir village, on the main road to Patara, lost over 100 acres of tunnels with tomatoes for the export trade growing in them.

The yayla (mountain) road to Antalya was closed for three hours while the authorities dealt with heavy snow falls.

When the even fiercer storm struck on Thursday night it was the turn of villages beyond Kemer.

Again roads were blocked with mud, and in some cases literally swept away by the huge volumes of water.

One fish farm in the area lost most of its stock, as water levels in the tanks fed by the river rose, and eventually washed away fish from the tanks.

Friday morning saw the villages cut off, and most importantly unable to get to Fethiye to sell produce in the Friday market.

In Fethiye itself a 45-foot tree fell on to a parked car and brought the power lines down with it.

Boats were sunk and blown on to the bank on the river in Calis on Tuesday (pictured) Thanks to Geoff Bramfitt for the photo.

On Friday afternoon Bodrum and its environs were treated to a 15-minute snow storm that left the area white – but it soon melted away.

However, do not despair, as by the time you read this the weather should have settled into its usual blue sky and sunshine pattern.

We doubt there is any chance of a white Christmas in Fethiye.

Merry Christmas and see you in the New Year

News snippets is taking a festive holiday next weekend but we’ll be back on Monday 3rd January with the first news snippets of 2011.

Meanwhile we would like to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.