Snow began to fall in mountainous regions across Lebanon Thursday, blocking roads and isolating villages in the third storm to hit the country this year.
Snowstorm "Windy" is accompanied by strong winds, heavy rains and snowfall starting from an altitude of 800 meters.
Mountain roads in north Lebanon’s Akkar district were blocked by snow and were accessible only by 4-wheel drive cars and vehicles equipped with snow chains.
Schools were closed in villages located at an altitude of 1,000 meters and above, as "Windy" was expected to gain momentum during the day.
By miday, 5-7 centimeters of snow had falled on villages at an altitude of 1,000 and above, with temperetures dropping to below 0 degrees Celsius, Civil Defense said.
The meteorological department at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport forecast snowfall at 900 meters above sea level and winds at a speed of 80 to 90 kilometers per hour.
In the high mountains, roads were completely blocked by snow.