Rare snowfall phenomenon in the Middle East

On January 27, snow covered Jerusalem and the Eastern Mediterranean after a snowstorm, the whole holy land turned into a snow-white fairyland.

The previous snowstorm that swept through Athens (Greece) and Istanbul (Turkey) severely disrupted the lives of people in regions that are familiar with hot summer days. The rare snowfall brought joy to the people of Jerusalem but caused difficulties for many Syrian migrants.

The Israel Meteorological Agency said it snowed 15-25cm thick on the night of January 26. Major highways were congested with heavy snowfall, prompting officials to mobilize snow removal vehicles to clear roads connecting Jerusalem from the north, south and west.

Snow is covered in white in front of the Dome of the Rock church, January 27, 2022.

Schools in Jerusalem and Northern Israel have been closed and will only reopen when temperatures rise and there is rain. Cold weather increases the need for heating electricity. The Israeli Electric Company recorded its highest ever electricity consumption on the night of January 26.

Snow also covered the Israeli-occupied West Bank, forcing schools and many Palestinian government offices to close.

Several engineering units are mobilized to clear snow on the street in Amman, Jordan, January 27, 2022.

Similarly, many roads in neighboring Jordan's capital Amman were also blocked by heavy snowfall. The Jordan Meteorological Agency predicts that snow will continue to fall in some highlands and temperatures will drop to freezing cold on the night of January 27.

Egypt also experienced its coldest winter in decades, with temperatures dropping to 7-8 degrees Celsius below the average annual temperature. The storm caused waves up to nearly 6 meters high, disrupting all activities. shipping in the Eastern Mediterranean.