Attachments
Date of event
26-01-2024
What happened, where and when?
Lebanon and the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea were affected by a low depression accompanied by polar winds, leading to a noticeable drop in temperatures and unstable weather conditions since the start of the winter. From 24 to 29 January 2024, the Met Services released a statement about the escalation of the depression, accompanied by a mass cold wave forming Storm Daniella, which led to snowfall with peak impact on 26 January 2024. The storm also caused heavy rainfall across the country, with severe winds and snowfall. There was a heavy decline in the temperature, reaching subzero degrees in mountainous areas and 3 degrees in Bekaa. This storm impacted several governorates in Lebanon, specifically mountainous areas in Bekaa, Mount Lebanon, North and South regions. The cold wave has impacted the affected communities in varying degrees.
Scope and Scale
While the cold wave was affecting areas across the country to varying degrees, the most affected places include Akkar, Baalbak-Hermel, Beqaa, and Mount Lebanon Governorate, as highlighted by Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) collection and analysis teams. Indeed, the National Society has noted signicant impacts on these communities' ability to provide heating and basic needs, which, if not addressed, will lead to health conditions and negative coping mechanisms. To note, the average temperatures in the country during the winter months (December to February) was around 15 degrees centigrade. The current polar winds have resulted in further decrease of the temperatures. Following storm Daniella, the meteorological centre released a report alerting that starting from 28 January 2024, a new storm called (Hayan) is being formed due to the polar winds, which are resulting in a further decrease in temperature in mountainous terrains with the possibility to reach 2 degrees in Bekaa. These weather conditions were expected to continue through February 2024, with the eects of the cold wave likely persisting beyond the indicated period. Indeed, the forecast suggests continued severe conditions, likely to further strain the resources of families who have already exhausted their means of coping with the earlier cold waves of late 2023 and early 2024. Lebanon is facing compounded economic challenges, especially with the current political tensions and the displacement of tens of thousands of people from the south regions. The weather conditions have added to the current complex context with soaring heating costs and disrupted food supplies, deepening the nancial hardships for families living in the targeted regions who are already burdened by skyrocketing living expenses. Despite these escalating challenges, the government's response has been limited. While it is known that Lebanon has suered severe cold waves in previous years, causing signicant humanitarian eects, the current socio-economic and humanitarian context in the country further erodes community capacity to cope without support. It is estimated by LRC that approximately 2.9 million people are overall exposed to the harsh weather as they reside in the areas that are most prone to these adverse weather conditions.