Snow blankets Jerusalem for the second time this year
A powerful winter storm which hit Greece and Turkey over the weekend, moved on to the Middle East yesterday, bringing Jerusalem its second heavy snowfall this year.
The storm which was originally forecast to hit the Lebanon over the weekend arrived Monday lunchtime, lashing the country with snow, hail, rain and strong winds. Thunderstorms pelted the south of the country with hailstones. In Sidon strong winds and high seas forced the closure of the City’s harbour while heavy rain flooded the streets.
Yesterday evening the storm moved on to Israel and this morning residents in Jerusalem were treated to another rare sight of snow. This is the second significant snow fall to descend on the City this year. While snow is often seen across other parts of the country, it seldom settles in Jerusalem itself. However this morning it is reported that snow lay to a depth of 5cm (2 inches) in places. Despite initial fears that the snow would cause widespread disruption, most roads were quickly cleared.
This is the second major storm to hit the Middle East this year. Late January a storm brought heavy snow across Lebanon, Israel and parts of Syria. Across the Lebanon it caused widespread chaos on roads and left villages isolated. This current storm is expected to be short-lived, with rain forecast towards the end of the week.
