BEIRUT (AP) – Snow covered parts of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel on Wednesday, covering areas it has not reached in years, disrupting traffic and delaying vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 and even exams at some universities.
It has snowed for the first time in recent years in Marjayoun, in southern Lebanon, and in Bayda, in northeastern Libya.
The forced winds blew electricity in large areas of Lebanon, forcing many Lebanese, already accustomed to power outages, to rely on generators for longer hours. Rescuers pulled four drivers out of the snow-covered cars, the National News Agency said.
The first snowfall this winter in the Syrian capital, Damascus, did not stop the Premier League football tournament from moving forward, as Army Sports Club and Al-Karamah clashed despite the snow covering the field, the Syrian daily Al-reported. Watan.
In the mountains of Syria’s Sweida province, the snow was up to 15 cm (6 inches), according to the official SANA news agency. Roads in some provinces have been blocked. In the central province of Hama, bulldozers left snow to open roads while vehicles skidded on ice, causing traffic disruptions.
The University of Damascus canceled the intermediate exams scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in all its branches in Syria due to extreme weather conditions. The country’s ports remained open. Subsequently, local authorities in Sweida, Quneitra, Daraa and Tartous provinces suspended the school on Thursday due to storms and heavy snow.
In northwestern Syria, held by the opposition, civil defense teams are building mounds of dirt on Tuesday around IDP camps to prevent flooding from crowded areas of rain. Nearly 3 million displaced people live in northwestern Syria, mostly in tents and temporary shelters. Last month, heavy rainfall affected more than 190 displacement sites, destroying and damaging more than 10,000 tents.
In neighboring Lebanon, Hurricane Joyce struck late Tuesday, with strong winds ranging from 85 km / h (52 mph) to 100 km / h (62 mph). The storm is expected to become stronger on Thursday.
Breaking a hot spell, the storm brought heavy rainfall, a sharp drop in temperatures and the heaviest snow in Lebanon this year. The snow is expected to cover areas up to 400 meters above sea level, according to the meteorological department. Nearly a dozen roads in eastern and northern Lebanon have been closed to traffic due to snow. A beach club and restaurant were submerged in the water, while waves almost 4 meters (13 feet) high hit the shore.
The Israeli weather service forecast strong storms and low temperatures across the country, with snow at higher altitudes expected on Wednesday, including in Jerusalem. On Wednesday night, Israeli police closed the main road between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem due to snow.
Heavy snow covered the Golan Heights annexed by Israel, near the border with Syria.
In Jordan, the volume of COVID-19 vaccination has been suspended due to severe weather conditions. Schools and universities also postpone courses. Jordan’s Prime Minister Bishr al-Khasawneh has announced that Thursday will be an official holiday for both the public and private sectors due to the snowstorm.
Osama al-Tarifi, the director of the Saudi Weather’s operations room, said snow had reached 20 cm (8 inches) in the Ajloun Mountains in northern Jordan, where snow had been continuous since Tuesday night. Heavy snow is expected in the capital Amman on Wednesday.
The wind exceeded 100 km / h (62 miles / h) in some areas of Jordan.
In Libya, snow covered the country’s northeastern mountains as snow continued Tuesday, covering forests and roads in parts of the North African country.
Residents of the Jabal al-Akhdar area in the northeastern tip of Libya have taken their children out for fun, some making snowmen and others starting snowball fights.
“I was actually surprised by the number of families who came here to take pictures to remember the snow,” said Ali al-Shairi, an amateur photographer in the eastern town of Bayda known for the recurring snow in Libya. but I haven’t seen one in a few years.
In neighboring Egypt, heavy rain and windy weather predominated on Wednesday and were expected to last until Thursday, the country’s weather agency said. Authorities in South Sinai Province, which includes resorts, have canceled tourist activities, including safaris and cruises to deal with the storm.
___
Associated Press writers Omar Akour of Amman, Jordan; Samy Magdy in Cairo; and Isaac Scharf and Ilan Ben Zion of Jerusalem contributed to this report.