2013 Middle East cold snap

Weather event in the Middle East sci January 2014 December 2018 File:H500-06-14-12-2013.gif Animated of H500 during December 6–14, 2013 in the Middle East. December 11, 2013 December 15, 2013 Winter Storm 8Winter storm batters Middle East; 8 dead, USA Today, January 9, 2013 Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Cyprus, Turkey, Saudi Arabia thumb|The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite acquired this image of the snow on December 15 after the clouds cleared. For the most part, the snow is confined to higher elevations in Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. Some lower-elevation desert regions in Syria are also snowy. The 2013 Middle East cold snap, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1682640.stm also referred to as Alexa,https://www.voanews.com/a/reu-winter-storm-alexa-chills-the-middle-east/1809588.html Winter Storm 'Alexa' Chills Middle East December 13, 2013 Voice of America December 13, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20140105120829/http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-winter-storm-alexa-chills-the-middle-east/1809588.html January 5, 2014 live refers to the winter storm that hit the Middle East in December 2013, affecting Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Turkey, and Egypt.Yulsman Tom Rare Mideast Snowstorm as Seen from Space http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/imageo/2013/12/13/rare-mideast-snowstorm-seen-from-space/ Discover December 16, 2013Heylen Kathleen Sneeuwstorm zet duizenden mensen zonder stroom http://www.deredactie.be/cm/vrtnieuws/buitenland/131215_Sneeuwstorm_MiddenOosten De Redactie December 16, 2013 Dutch The storm severely affected millions of poor and displaced people across the region, especially afflicting refugees from the Syrian civil war.https://news.yahoo.com/winter-storm-39-alexa-39-chills-middle-east-131856137.html Wintry storm grips Middle East, worsens misery of Syrians December 13, 2013 Yahoo News Meteorological history Beginning December 11, a large anticyclone moved northward in the jet stream over Europe; its east edge drew a strong current of cold air south from the Arctic. This polar outbreak overspread Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean, pushing below moist air associated with a passing front, causing heavy snow and sleet over higher ground in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. At lower elevations, heavy rain from the system caused flooding in some areas.Burt Christopher Topsy-Turvy Weather in Europe, Middle East http://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/comment.html?entrynum=224#commenttop wunderground.com December 14, 2013 March 26, 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170326131438/https://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/comment.html?entrynum=224#commenttop dead The west edge of the anticyclone also drew in a warm southwest wind from around the Azores to Britain. Events by country Cyprus By December 14, 2013, the storm had covered the island's Troodos mountain range with snow. Snowing had begun several days earlier, with snow reaching a peak thickness of 70 cm in in Troodos.Winter storm brings ice and snow to Cyprus, minus 6 in Troodos http://famagusta-gazette.com/winter-storm-brings-ice-and-snow-to-cyprus-minus-in-troodos-p21727-69.htm Famagusta Gazette December 16, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131216184823/http://famagusta-gazette.com/winter-storm-brings-ice-and-snow-to-cyprus-minus-in-troodos-p21727-69.htm December 16, 2013 dead Four hundred customers lost electricity, and several villages, including Armenohori, Farmakas, Kampi, and Sinaoros, completely lost it for extended periods of time.Storm prompts 1,700 calls to Cyprus Electricity Authority, 400 power cuts http://famagusta-gazette.com/storm-prompts-calls-to-cyprus-electricity-authority-power-cuts-p21734-69.htm Famagusta Gazette December 16, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131216184821/http://famagusta-gazette.com/storm-prompts-calls-to-cyprus-electricity-authority-power-cuts-p21734-69.htm December 16, 2013 dead Egypt Egypt's capital Cairo witnessed extremely rare snowfall (mostly graupel) on December 13, that the local media claimed to be the first in 112 years. Nighttime temperatures were expected to drop as low as 2 C F. Snow also fell heavily on mountains in the Sinai Peninsula.*http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Dec-13/240969-cairo-sees-first-snow-in-years-as-cold-snap-hits-egypt.ashx Cairo sees first snow in years as cold snap hits Egypt December 13, 2013 The Daily Star December 13, 2013 May 3, 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190503071911/http://www.dailystar.com.lb//News/Middle-East/2013/Dec-13/240969-cairo-sees-first-snow-in-years-as-cold-snap-hits-egypt.ashx dead http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/12/13/snow-egypt-middle-east_n_4438571.html Snow in Egypt for the First Time in 100 Years, Reports Say (PICTURES) December 13, 2013 HuffPost http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContentP/1/89025/Egypt/Winter-brings-snow-to-Cairo.aspx Winter brings snow to Cairo December 13, 2013 Ahram Online Israel 250px|thumbnail|Two people pulling a cart of bread on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem, December 12, 2013.|left On 13 December, 40 - 70 cm on of snow fell in Jerusalem and 1 m on in the Kfar Etzion area. Warmer parts of Israel received heavy rains, causing floods. The railway into Jerusalem operated on the Sabbath for people stranded by blocked roads. Roads were closed in Israel by deep snow and flooding. Storm clouds prompted Ben Gurion International Airport to shut down, forcing U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to cut short his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and return to the West Bank before roads and airports became unusable.http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-snow-israel-egypt-20131213,0,1691393.story Snow closes roads in Israel, is a source of wonder in Cairo December 13, 2013 Los Angeles Times Jerusalem was cut off for 48 hours by deep snow and flooding, with cars being abandoned after they were stuck in snow. In the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights were covered with snow up to at least 100 cm on deep. thumb|Snow-stranded automobiles in Har Adar, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, December 2013. Palestine, On 13 December, 40–70 cm (16–28 in) of snow fell in Jerusalem. Warmer parts of Palestine received heavy rains, causing floods. Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Hebron, and many other towns and cities were coated in snow and some lower-lying areas suffered flooding from heavy rain. Snow in Ramallah, Nablus, and Hebron ranged from 60 – 145 cm on, and in Bethlehem ranged from 20 – 55 cm on. The scene in Manger Square, the square adjacent to the Church of the Nativity was that of a white Christmas with the square fully decorated and covered with a deep coat of snow. The Gaza Strip was lashed by torrential rain for a third day, with the local Hamas-run administration announcing that residents had been evacuated from 60 flooded homes since storms hit the coastal territory on December 11.https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/un-and-lebanese-army-offer-syrian-refugees-relief-as-cold-weather-bites-1.322164 UN and Lebanese army offer Syrian refugees relief as cold weather bites The National www.thenational.ae live https://web.archive.org/web/20131214133030/http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/un-and-lebanese-army-offer-syrian-refugees-relief-as-cold-weather-bites 2013-12-14 Jordan In Jordan, Ghazi Sarhan, spokesman for Jordan's Administration of Syrian Refugee Camps, announced on December 13, that: "During the past 48 hours 10,000 blankets and 1,500 heaters have been distributed to refugees". Deep snow fell in Amman, where King Abdullah II helped to push a car that had got stuck in snow. Lebanon Refugees of the Syrian civil war While snow is a common yearly occurrence in Lebanon, many Syrian refugees were severely affected by the unusually cold conditions. It was reported that the Lebanese Army was called in to help distribute emergency aid to refugees, and the United Nations (UN) handed out fuel, blankets, heaters and food rations amid a third day of severe winter weather in the region. According to Abou Faour's announcement, published in Al Nahar newspaper on December 12:"There are 1,600 refugee makeshift camps in addition to 431 random camps, which makes it difficult to reach these places. That is why the cabinet had to ask for the help of the army to make as much aid reach those refugees as possible." Syria Humanitarian aid during the Syrian Civil War The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) issued plans to airlift 40 t of food for 50,000 to 60,000 people into the northeastern province of Hasakah from Iraq. The UN airlift of urgently needed food for tens of thousands of people in northeastern Syria, originally planned for December 12, was delayed by snow. According to Matthew Hollingworth, Syria Country Director for the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP):"Most internally displaced Syrians fled their homes with few belongings so they do not even have enough warm clothes or blankets to fend off the freezing weather. They desperately need fuel for heating and to cook the food they receive as humanitarian assistance."Reportedly, a child and a baby died from the cold on December 12, and an activist in a besieged rebel-held town of al-Harra said residents were struggling to stay warm with the electricity cut off and no food or fuel allowed in. References External links Snow Blankets Eastern Mediterranean: Palestine, Syria, Cyprus and Lebanon King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman helping to push a car which got stuck in deep snow Snow in Cairo Snow in the Sinai Peninsula Asia 2010s Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Middle East cold snap Category:2013 disasters in Asia Category:2013 disasters in Iraq Category:2013 in Saudi Arabia Category:2010s cold waves Category:Cold waves in Asia Category:Natural disasters in the Middle East Category:Natural disasters in Egypt Category:Natural disasters in Palestine Category:Natural disasters in Iraq Category:Natural disasters in Jordan Category:Disasters in Lebanon Category:Natural disasters in Syria Category:Natural disasters in Cyprus Category:Natural disasters in Turkey Category:Natural disasters in Saudi Arabia Category:Natural disasters in Israel