Lebanon in Grip of Storm 'Windy' as Snow Reaches Shores

Fierce winter storm “Windy” tightened its grip Thursday on Lebanon, causing a significant drop in temperatures and heavy rains on the coast as snow blanketed mountains and reached areas only 300 meters above sea level and the shores in some coastal regions.

The vehement weather prompted Education Minister Elias Bou Saab to order a closure of private and public schools on Friday and Saturday. Health Minister Wael Abou Faour for his part announced that nurseries will close on Friday.

Clumps of hail covered Tripoli's Abi Samra district and the neighboring areas as snow stayed briefly on the northern city's shore.

In the capital Beirut, heavy hail lashed the streets amid a significant decrease in temperatures.

In Akkar, temperatures hit -8 degrees Celsius in the town of Halba, which lies 150 meters above sea level.

Snow started falling in the afternoon on areas 700 meters above sea level, especially in the al-Dreib region.

Civil Defense crews managed to rescue some citizens who were trapped in snow on Jabal Akroum's roads.

Four soldiers were also evacuated after snow stranded them in their car as they were on their way to Akkar via the Hermel-Mishmesh road.

Also in the north, snow reached a thickness of 25 centimeters in Tannourine al-Fawqa as bulldozers struggled to reopen the main roads that were blocked.

Dense fog covered the mountainous regions in Zgharta as heavy hail lashed areas 300 meters above sea level in the afternoon. Meanwhile snow covered the town of Kfarfou, 500 meters above sea level, changing the scenery from green to white.

In the higher Ehden, the thickness of the snow was at around 50 centimeters.

As for the Upper Metn region in Mount Lebanon, the storm brought chilly winds and frost as most roads were cut off.

Schools suspended classes in all villages and towns lying 800 meters and more above sea level as snow reached most areas in Jurd Aley and Shahar.

The collapse of a wall and a tree meanwhile caused a severe traffic jam in the town of Ain Alaq.

The Traffic Management Center meanwhile announced that "a large load-bearing wall collapsed on the Mtaileb road in Metn," advising motorists to drive carefully.

And as in every fierce storm, snow and fog forced the closure of the vital Dahr al-Baydar road, which links Mount Lebanon to the Bekaa Valley.

In the south, the Shebaa region wore a white dress for the third time this year, with snow reaching a thickness of 15 centimeters on the roads in the afternoon.

The snow also cut off Lebanese army and UNIFIL posts located on the hills in Shebaa and Kfarshouba as temperatures plummeted to very low levels.

In the coastal city of Sidon, the storm forced a suspension of activity at the port due to high waves.

Further south, the storm lashed the Jal al-Bahr Palestinian refugee camp in the coastal city of Tyre, damaging dozens of houses due to strong winds and giant waves that invaded the houses.

“Windy” also forced the closure of the city's commercial port as fishermen avoided the sea for a third consecutive day.

A number of boats were damaged at the fishermen's harbor.

The Meteorological Department at the Beirut Rafik Hariri International Airport said the storm originated in the North Pole, forecasting further heavy rains and a drop in temperatures on Friday.

Y.R.

M.T.