Temperatures in earthquake zone will continue to fall as hope for rescue fades

Freezing temperatures in the earthquake zone, already hampering rescue efforts, will get even colder, according to weather reports Thursday.

Strong winds and heavy rain, as well as below-average "bitterly cold" temperatures, are further complicating the "race against time" in the rescue operation in Turkey and Syria.

According to Turkey's state weather service, temperatures in some cities will drop to as low as minus 9 degrees Thursday night.

In Maras, near the quake's epicenter, rescue efforts will have to contend with nighttime temperatures of -6 degrees, and in more rural areas the levels will be even lower.

The region will be mostly dry, but some areas may experience showers, some of them wintry, in the coming days.

According to charities and humanitarian organizations, hope is fading for thousands of people among the nearly 5,800 buildings destroyed in Turkey, as 72 hours have already passed.