Powerful summer storm hits Eastern Mediterranean, causing flooding in Lebanon and Syria

A powerful summer storm sweeping across the Eastern Mediterranean has caused flooding and damage in Lebanon, Syria, and Cyprus. In Lebanon, footage showed flooding in the Akkar region and the village of Yahchouch, north of Beirut. A child was rescued after being swept away by floodwaters at the Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp. In Syria, the storm caused road flooding and downed trees in the coastal province of Latakia, while strong winds in Aleppo sent solar panels flying, damaging parked vehicles. Cyprus also reported damage to greenhouses and a fire sparked by a lightning strike on a utility pole. Israel’s Meteorological Service reported that rainfall in the country remained light, with no location in the Upper Galilee or Golan Heights recording more than one millimeter of rain as of Saturday night. Localized showers are expected to continue in northern Israel through Sunday afternoon, with fair weather and slightly higher temperatures forecast to return by Tuesday, coinciding with the start of the school year.