Heavy Rain, Strong Winds Pummel Lebanon

A stormy weather accompanied with rain and snow has been battering Lebanon since Wednesday damaging homes, blockading roads and flooding major highways.

In the governorate of Akkar strong winds destroyed agricultural greenhouses and caused great damage to the region's crops, the National News Agency reported.

High sea waves stormed one of the houses of Hay el-Bahr along the Akkari beach and cracked its walls forcing its residents to evacuate, NNA added.

Rainwater flooded the Sarba-Jounieh highway causing heavy traffic jam in the region, and flooded the parking lot in the Serail of Jounieh.

A landslide has partially blocked the old sea road after Hamat tunnel en route to el-Heri.

Vehicles were trapped in snow on mountainous roads mainly the one connecting Tarshish to Zahle.

In the southern city of Sidon, heavy rain and wind disrupted navigation system and fishing. Sea waves were so high they reached the shore, said NNA.

According to the meteorological department at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, the storm “Loulou” continues to hit Lebanon and reaches peak today and tomorrow at noon.