BEIRUT: Heavy rains Thursday caused flooding and backed up traffic in major cities, as early November snowfall saw the Lebanese Army rescue 30 stranded motorists near the Cedars in Bsharri.

The army said that its personnel, from the military’s skiing school, rescued the motorists and then blocked the road from Bsharri to the Bekaa Valley to avoid further problems.

In the cities, flooded roads caused damage to property and stores, while a large support wall on the coastal highway in Jounieh collapsed, causing huge traffic snarls as police and Public Works Ministry personnel were called in to deal with the situation.

A number of businesses in Jounieh were forced to close because of the inclement weather.

The National News Agency said that a number of road accidents took place in Koura, North Lebanon, due to unfinished road works and a generally poor state of road maintenance, although no fatalities were reported.

Main highways in North Lebanon were also blocked temporarily, forcing drivers to use side roads.

The Central News Agency quoted a meteorologist as saying that as of the morning, 6 millimeters of precipitation was reported in Beirut, compared to 18 millimeters in Tripoli and 30 millimeters in the Cedars.

Friday’s weather forecast is calling for more thunderstorms and bouts of heavy rain, with snowfall expected at 1,700 meters.

Snow is expected to fall as low as 1,500 meters on Saturday, with the possibility of icy roads in mountainous areas, although the cold front is expected to level off by then.