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| Mid-East suffers rare cold snap | Mid-East suffers rare cold snap |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| There have been a number of deaths and considerable damage to crops in the Middle East as temperatures in the region have fallen to exceptional lows. | There have been a number of deaths and considerable damage to crops in the Middle East as temperatures in the region have fallen to exceptional lows. |
| Local reports say that 10 people died in Saudi Arabia after snowfalls. | Local reports say that 10 people died in Saudi Arabia after snowfalls. |
| In Syria, temperatures have dropped to minus 16 degrees Celsius. There has been widespread damage to crops in Syria, Jordan and Israel. | In Syria, temperatures have dropped to minus 16 degrees Celsius. There has been widespread damage to crops in Syria, Jordan and Israel. |
| There has also been snow in the Iraqi capital Baghdad for the first time in living memory. | There has also been snow in the Iraqi capital Baghdad for the first time in living memory. |
| The Middle East is a region used to extremes of temperature - but not ones like these. | The Middle East is a region used to extremes of temperature - but not ones like these. |
| Kuwaiti meteorologists are eagerly watching thermometers to see if the previous low recorded in the open desert, minus four degrees Celsius in 1964, could be broken in the coming days. | Kuwaiti meteorologists are eagerly watching thermometers to see if the previous low recorded in the open desert, minus four degrees Celsius in 1964, could be broken in the coming days. |
| Some in the Jordanian government are worried that food prices may increase, giving inflation another unwelcome bump. | Some in the Jordanian government are worried that food prices may increase, giving inflation another unwelcome bump. |
| But reports from Israel suggest the weather may not be bad news for everyone. | But reports from Israel suggest the weather may not be bad news for everyone. |
| Some farmers are suffering, but there has been a jump in the sale of heaters and warm clothes, with retailers saying the demand for some goods has tripled. | Some farmers are suffering, but there has been a jump in the sale of heaters and warm clothes, with retailers saying the demand for some goods has tripled. |
| This cold snap has been caused by a weather system that began in Siberia. | This cold snap has been caused by a weather system that began in Siberia. |
| But meteorologists in the region cannot agree whether it is the result of climate change; the director of Baghdad's Meteorology Department reportedly said it could be, his counterpart in Amman disagrees. | But meteorologists in the region cannot agree whether it is the result of climate change; the director of Baghdad's Meteorology Department reportedly said it could be, his counterpart in Amman disagrees. |
| Have you been affected by the cold weather in the Middle East? Send your pictures and video of the current weather conditions to: yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. Click here to see terms and conditions | |
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