(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — The fierce winter storm sweeping Lebanon has claimed the lives of at least three people on Wednesday, according to the Lebanese National News Agency.
In east Lebanon, two Syrians, including an 8-year-old boy, died in the outskirts of Shebaa in Mount Hermon on the Syrian border, according to Beirut-based newspaper, The Daily Star.
Meanwhile, crews from Electricite du Liban are working to fix the damage to several power grids, including the Zahrani power plant in the south and the Zouk facility, north of Beirut, which were temporarily damaged after being struck by lightning Wednesday morning.
Hail fell in Beirut on Wednesday, which also caused widespread power outages in schools and businesses, where the temperature dropped to less than 6 degrees.
Education Minister Elias Bou Saab announced that public and private schools will close their doors Thursday due to the severe weather conditions.
Beirut flights are delayed as wind speeds and rain intensified in Tuesday evening and through Wednesday. Planes took advantage of brief periods of calm to take off and land, but as the storm picked up flights were halted again.
The Lebanese Red Cross said it carried out 231 transport and rescue operations since 6 p.m. Tuesday, including car accidents, evacuation of snowed-in motorists and hospital transportation of dialysis patients and pregnant women who were cut off by snow in the Bekaa Valley and north Lebanon.
Weather forecasts say that the storm will last until Thursday and temperatures would plunge to a new minimum over the weekend.
The snow level started at 900 meters above sea level on Wednesday in particular in north Lebanon, followed by widespread showers that began the day before.
WATCH the storm hit Manara, Beirut on Tuesday: