Deadly winter storm hits from Turkey to Egypt

At least two people have been killed as a severe winter storm slams the Levant region from Turkey to Egypt.

Strong winds and heavy rain pounded the region as the temperatures fell and the rain increasingly turned to snow.

Strong waves smashed Turkey’s coastline, littering the corniche of Mersin with debris, while other parts of the country were paralysed by heavy snow.

Snow was dusted Mount Qasioun in the Syrian capital, Damascus.

The winds also whipped up dust, choking the residents of Gaza and Egypt, turning the skies an ominous orange colour.

The ones who suffered most were refugees from war-torn Syria, many of whom live in tented communities that offer little protection against the elements.

The rain flooded camps near the Syria-Turkey border, including the Cordoba camp near Batabu town. 

In Lebanon, a Syrian girl was confirmed dead after being swept away in southern Zahrani. The girl’s brother also remains missing.

Another person was killed when their car was involved in a multi-car pile-up, which is believed to have been caused by poor visibility.

The conditions across the Levant are improving, but the storm is still moving east, currently bringing heavy rain and snow to Iraq and Iran and triggering an intense dust storm to the south, blasting Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.