Snow blankets Holy Qods in ME freeze

Blankets of snow brought the holy city of Qods and other cities across the Middle East grinding to a halt on Wednesday as icy weather conditions gripped the mainly desert region.

Snow blocked roads to the Jordanian capital Amman and schools, universities and banks were shut in the desert kingdom, while freezing winds swept through the Mediterrean island of Cyprus.

Severe storms battered much of Lebanon, with torrential downpours and hailstorms hitting the capital on Wednesday and heavy snow blocking roads in mountainous regions.

Residents, more used to heat than freezing temperatures complained about the cold, but weather forecasters welcomed both snow and rain to replenish almost empty dams and reservoirs.

In Syria snow fell overnight on the capital Damascus, taking temperatures below seasonal norms, with Syrian television reporting the closure of secondary roads in the south of the country.

The first snowfall of the year covered Holy Qods -- and its historical al-Aqsa mosque -- with several centimetres (inches) of heavy slush.