Extreme Weather in Lebanon on Saturday, 28 January, 2012 at 05:19 (05:19 AM) UTC.

A rainstorm across Lebanon caused a mudslide Friday, blocking a main road in the Metn town of Beit Mery, causing a heavy traffic jam. The Beit Mery municipality eventually reopened the Monteverdi road leading to Beirut after successfully removing the mud and rocks which had covered it during the mudslide. The severe rainstorm, which hit Lebanon Thursday evening, is expected to ease Saturday morning, with rain stopping around noon, according to the Meteorological Department of Rafik Hariri International Airport. Cloudy weather is expected Saturday afternoon and will continue until Sunday, when temperatures are likely to see a slight increase. In the southern coastal city of Sidon, fishermen stayed at home and navigation stopped in the city’s port due to heavy wind and high waves. The storm forced a commercial ship which had entered Sidon’s port to retreat until an improvement in the weather. The storm also impaired vision in the mountainous villages to the east of Sidon, stretching to the town of Jezzine. Temperatures dropped significantly and snow fell on mountain slopes overlooking Jezzine from an altitude of 1,000 meters.

The snow blocked the international highway between Lebanon and Syria at Dahr al-Baidar shortly before it was reopened by authorities. In the north, heavy wind along the coast ripped oranges and olives from trees in the orchards of the Zghorta district, while the artificial lake in Bneshaii overflowed. Streets and agricultural land were flooded with heavy rain after canals were blocked despite efforts of the union of the Zghorta district municipalities. In the mountainous districts, bulldozers worked on keeping main roads opened in Ehden, Bsharri, Hasroun, Hadath al-Jibbe and Tannourine amid impaired vision. Temperatures dropped below -3 degrees Celsius and most schools in the area closed. Hasroun’s public school stayed open, although students struggled to reach it. The storm inflicted heavy damage to electricity and telecommunications networks. Power was cut in Hasroun and its surrounding areas, as well as in Ehden and the districts of Bqoufa, Aintourin. In Batroun, snow reached heights of 30 to 40 centimeters and blocked the roads of Tannourine al-Fawqa-Laqlouq and Tannourine al-Fawqa-Hadath al-Jibbe.

- RSOE EDIS