SIDON/TRIPOLI/BAALBEK, Lebanon: Storm Yohan is expected to subside by Friday afternoon, as Lebanon recovers from the aftermath of its brutal winds and heavy snows that clogged major roads Thursday. Friday’s weather is expected to be cloudy with heavy rains and thunderstorms, according to the daily weather forecast from the Meteorological Department at Beirut’s airport. Snow is also expected at altitudes of 800 meters and above.
The intensity of rain will decrease gradually from Friday afternoon.
Temperatures will range between 6 and 15 degrees Celsius along the coast, minus 1 and 6 in the mountains, minus 4 and 1 in the Cedars and 1 and 12 in the Bekaa Valley.
A slight rise in temperatures is likely Saturday as intermittent rains and snow will fall at an altitude of 900 meters and above. The department warned of ice forming overnight on mountain roads.
Thursday’s weather was marked by serious snowfall that blocked major roads across the country.
Villages near the southern border were blanketed with fresh snow Thursday morning, including Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil, as well as UNIFIL’s posts by the Blue Line.
Bulldozers belonging to UNIFIL and the Public Works Ministry went to work reopening blocked roads. The Lebanese Army and peacekeepers worked in cooperation to help citizens move cars lodged in snow.
Villages situated along the borders were subjected to especially harsh winds and heavy rain.
Snow fell around the southern town of Jezzine at altitudes of 700 meters and above. About 20 centimeters of snow blocked major southern roads but were later cleared by plows operated by the Civil Defense and the Public Works Ministry.
A thick fog hung in villages east of Sidon, where a significant drop in temperatures led to hail. Heavy showers and strong winds battered the city, forcing fishermen to shore.
The heavy snowfall led to a surge in demand for diesel, which was unavailable in many gas stations in Sidon’s remote villages.
Some even took advantage of the situation by increasing the price of fuel by LL6,000 or more.
In Dahr al-Baidar, the snowplowing center worked overtime to clear the snow, which reached at least 30 centimeters high in certain areas.
The area’s main roads remained open for SUVs and cars equipped with metal chains.
Members of the Internal Security Forces were deployed near the entrance of Kab Elias to prevent unequipped cars from passing.
The strong winds associated with the storm destroyed numerous makeshift refugee camps and toppled trees along the side roads of Ablah, Riyaq and along the Chtaura-Masnaa road.
Olive orchards and grapevines were also damaged due to the heavy snows across the country.
In addition to damaging newly refurbished roads, the storm wrought havoc for electricity networks and drinking water lines in a number of villages. Roads leading to villages in West Bekaa and southeast Lebanon were cleared of snow briefly but closed after layers of ice solidified due to cold.
Syrian refugees were also subject to severe weather-related hardships.
In addition to not having diesel, poorly equipped makeshift camps were destroyed as a result of strong winds in the Bekaa Valley, prompting humanitarian organizations, in coordination with UNHCR, to distribute aid early Thursday morning. Distributions will continue Friday.
Toward north Lebanon, snow fell on villages in the Bsharri district including Abdeen, which lies 1,700 meters, Wednesday night.
The main road from Tourza, leading to Bsharri and Ehden was blocked with snow. The ministry’s snowplows managed to reopen the road, however. The Bsharri-Arz road leading to ski lifts was also passable after the area’s municipality reopened them. In some areas residents had to trudge through 40-50 centimeters of snow.
In many areas, schools and businesses were closed. Education Minister Elias Bou Saab gave school administration the right to use their discretion and decide whether to remain open.
A team from the Public Works Ministry inspected Thursday damages Yohan inflicted on the coastal road the day before, the National News Agency reported.
Led by civil engineer Joseph Bou Samra, who heads the ministry’s road and buildings directorate, the team surveyed damages to the coastal region from Beirut’s Ain al-Mreisseh Corniche, to Dbayyeh, the Nahr al-Kalb tunnel and Amchit, north of Beirut.
Financial Prosecutor Ali Ibrahim also launched an investigation into the company that built the coastal road, which stretches from Jounieh to Beirut, after it partially collapsed, LBCI reported.
Electricite du Liban said in a statement that the company was working to fix damaged electricity lines Thursday.
The statement said the power outage which affected numerous areas in Lebanon, including Beirut, was due to Yohan, which prompted the company to ration power.
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