- 14:45
Lebanon is grappling with severe winter conditions as storm ‘Acil’ sweeps through the country, bringing heavy snowfall, torrential rains, and freezing temperatures.
Snowfall began in the early hours of Thursday at altitudes as low as 900 meters, covering several mountainous regions with a light layer, while intense rainfall in the Bekaa Valley caused flooding and road closures.
The Dahr al-Baydar road was closed to all vehicles on Thursday morning due to thick snow accumulation and is currently accessible to four-wheel-drive vehicles and cars equipped with metal chains.
Additionally, the Traffic Management Organization (TMO) reported that several mountain roads have been blocked by snow, including Ainata al-Arz, Kfar Debyan, Baalbek, Aqoura, Hermel, Sir al-Danniyeh, Qubayyat, Maaser al-Shouf, Kefraya, and Tarshish-Zahle. Authorities are urging citizens to avoid these roads until weather conditions improve.
A source from the Civil Defense Media Department revealed to This is Beirut that as of 12:30 PM on Thursday, Civil Defense units had rescued the passengers of 22 snowed-in vehicles across Lebanon.
“The vehicles, consisting of cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks, were stuck in the regions of Dahr al-Baydar, Faqra, and Oyoun al-Siman,” the source said.
He further cautioned that as temperatures drop in the afternoon, roads often become icy and slippery, especially after 5 PM, “when many people head to the mountains for snow-related activities or off-roading in SUVs.”
Waterways Replenished
For the first time this year, the Qaraoun Dam and Lake were blanketed in snow as the storm intensified. The central highlands of the Shouf district were also heavily affected, with snow paralyzing traffic in upper areas and disrupting institutions, including schools.
The storm, coupled with thunder, lightning, and dense fog, replenished waterways that had dried up in previous months, while hail and heavy rain battered various regions. Villages and towns in western Bekaa above 1,200 meters in altitude, such as Deir Al-Ashayer, Yanta, Kafrqouk, Ayha, and Ain Atta in Rashaya caza, were isolated, covered by a 25-centimeter layer of snow. The town of Mithun in western Bekaa remains cut off, and travel on the Mashghara-Jezzin and Mashghara-Qab Elias roads via Saghbine has become nearly impossible.
The heavy precipitation has also contributed to a rise in Qaraoun Lake’s water levels, which had dropped significantly over the past two years due to drought.
Severe thunderstorms, heavy snowfall, and plummeting temperatures also forced the closure of numerous schools, while light traffic was observed on major roads. By the end of the day, snowfall is expected to reach altitudes of 700 meters in the Bekaa region and between 800 and 900 meters in the southern regions.
In northern Lebanon, road-clearing efforts began at dawn, with snow plows reopening roads in the town of Fneideq in Akkar which witnessed around 30 centimeters of snowfall, and Qamouaa buried under an estimated 80 centimeters.
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