Mid-East suffers rare cold snap

[Salem6]

There have been a number of deaths and considerable damage to crops in the Middle East as temperatures in the region have fallen to exceptional lows.

Local reports say that 10 people died in Saudi Arabia after snowfalls.

In Syria, temperatures have dropped to minus 16 degrees Celsius. There has been widespread damage to crops in Syria, Jordan and Israel.

There has also been snow in the Iraqi capital Baghdad for the first time in living memory.

The Middle East is a region used to extremes of temperature - but not ones like these.

Kuwaiti meteorologists are eagerly watching thermometers to see if the previous low recorded in the open desert, minus four degrees Celsius in 1964, could be broken in the coming days.

Some in the Jordanian government are worried that food prices may increase, giving inflation another unwelcome bump.

But reports from Israel suggest the weather may not be bad news for everyone.

Some farmers are suffering, but there has been a jump in the sale of heaters and warm clothes, with retailers saying the demand for some goods has tripled.

This cold snap has been caused by a weather system that began in Siberia.

But meteorologists in the region cannot agree whether it is the result of climate change; the director of Baghdad's Meteorology Department reportedly said it could be, his counterpart in Amman disagrees.


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[Salem6]

Jerusalem's iconic Dome of the Rock - normally a resplendent gold - was turned half white on Wednesday morning.

Snowfalls blanketed streets and buildings with an inch-thick of powder.


Jerusalem's school, universities and court houses all closed for the day

In a city more used to high temperatures than snow, the wintry weather seemed to be appreciated by those residents braving the cold.

"The snow brings people together," said Oded Goldberger, 19, wearing a hat and gloves. "It's something really special."

In some parts of Jerusalem, people were making snowmen while others were having snowball fights.

The city's mayor is expected to judge a snowman competition on Wednesday afternoon.

'Simple pleasures'

"Of course it's cold and wet," said Evyator Rubin, 13, making a snowball. "But because it snows so little here it's great when it does happen."


Many people took the day off leaving the streets deserted of traffic


"I don't need to go to school today and I had a science exam."

All Jerusalem's schools, universities and courthouses were closed for the day. The public transport system is working on a scaled-back timetable.

Some of the offices in the city are shut but a number of shops and restaurants are open. Many Israeli commuters took the day off and the streets are largely empty of cars.

Inna Kanaan, 31, walked to work. The Russian-born architect says that the snow reminded her of her home before she emigrated to Israel.

"There was more snow in Russia, but this is good. It breaks the routine of waking up and just going to work," she said, removing her earmuffs before speaking. "It's good to enjoy nature's simple pleasures."

Winograd plough

The Jerusalem municipality made preparations for the snow which had been forecast for days. It had 100 snow-ploughs ready to clear the city's main streets.

A ritual among a small section of the city's ultra-orthodox Jewish community is to purify themselves by rubbing snow on their foreheads.

While snow in Jerusalem is unusual, other parts of the country regularly see snowfall. In the occupied Golan Heights in the north of the country there is a ski-resort.

By midday, the snow was still falling in Jerusalem. But some of the city's streets were turned into streams as the snow began to melt.

A cold weather snap has hit Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, causing several fatalities.

Also on Wednesday the Winograd committee - a government appointed inquiry - is set a deliver a final report into the government's handling of the war against Hezbollah in 2006.

There were some rumours that the event might be cancelled because of the snow.

But Israeli officials have commandeered a snow-plough - nicknamed Winograd - to make sure the committee members get to deliver the report.



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