Weather system dumps snow on Jordan, Syria and across Mideast

            
An unprecedented winter storm continued to effect large swathes of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories on Saturday, pushing temperatures below zero and covering towns and cities in a blanket of white.      

The cold weather is part of a storm, dubbed Alexa, which has been pounding much of Lebanon and parts of northern Syria since Wednesday.        

Snow battered most parts of central and southern Jordan, shutting down government offices, causing power disruptions, blocking roads and stranding motorists.           

In Amman, local residents could be seen digging out their cars from deep piles of snow and one man struggled to clear the entrance to his home from a fallen tree.        

In neighbouring Syria, the streets of the capital were also covered in snow.            

Many people were making the most of the unusual weather, having snowball fights and building snowmen in the city's streets and parks.          

According to local reports, snow reached a depth of 20 centimetres (about 8 inches) in Damascus and 50 centimetres (about 20 inches) in nearby countryside areas.         

Meanwhile, many people stranded for several days in Jerusalem began making their way home on Saturday.            

Sietvanit Tzirnishki, a Tel Aviv resident visiting her sister, said she was forced to stay after Israeli police blocked access to and from the ancient city.         

Israel Railways decided to run a train service from Jerusalem to Haifa despite it being the Jewish Shabbat (day of rest), were buses and trains do not normally operate.            

Forecasters say the storm is expected to weaken as the day progresses.                


AP