Lebanon was hit by a heavy winter storm Saturday, postponing flights at its international airport and destroying several small training planes, an airport official said. The violent wind, which reached 100 kilometres per hour, destroyed four small pilot training airplanes that were parked at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport runway, according to the official quoted by the German Press Agency "DPA." There were also delays in incoming and outgoing flights from Beirut airport. The strong winds, which were accompanied by heavy rain, caused disruptions in the country's telecommunications system and filled Beirut's streets with rainwater, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic and stranding drivers in their vehicles. The storm is expected to last until Monday, ending weeks of unseasonably warm and dry weather and bringing the first snowfall of winter. The meteorological department of the Civil Aviation Authority said there was heavy snowfall at an altitude of 1,400 meters. Even heavier snowfall is expected Sunday night, at an altitude of 1,200 meters.
