Storm Subsides after Coating Lebanon in Snow

The snowstorm that has been lashing Lebanon since Friday will begin to subside on Sunday afternoon, reported the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat on Sunday.

The storm caused heavy snow in a number of mountainous regions, with snow falling at altitudes as low as 600 meters and temperatures plunging to as low as five degree centigrade along the coast.

Several people were snowed in their buildings and cars, especially along the Zahleh-Dhour al-Choueir-Tarshish road.

The 100-kilometer winds that accompanied the storm also uprooted trees in several areas and damaged crops throughout the country, reported al-Mustaqbal daily on Sunday.

The heavy snow also forced the ski resorts of Farayya to close because of the inaccessibility of roads leading to these areas.

Some shops were also forced to close in the Bekaa valley where the melting snow caused rivers and streams to overflow.

The electricity and phone landlines were not spared from the storm as several cuts were reported in various regions.

The regions of Aley and Metn were also coated in a layer of snow, with its thickness reaching 50 centimeters at Dahr al-Baydar.

Along the coast, a lighting strike caused part of a residential building to collapse in the northern city of Tripoli.

Further north, in Akkar, the strong sea waves destroyed five fishing boats and several hundred meters of fishing nets.

The strong waves flooded the coastal road in the southern city of Sidon, bringing cars to a standstill.

The tumultuous sea halted port activity in Tyre and the heavy rain flooded several of the southern city’s streets.

Snowfall reached further inland, all the way to Shebaa, Kfarshouba, and the peaks of Mount Hermon.