Snow has blanketed parts of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya and Israel - covering areas that it has not reached in years with drifts up to six inches deep.

Lebanon was among the hardest hit, as the country was struck by Storm Joyce which brought gale force winds of up to 62mph, storm surges that submerged coastal areas, and widespread snowfall.

In the mountains of Syria's Sweida province, snow was as high as six inches in place, according to the official state news agency SANA, while flakes also fell in the capital Damascus.  

The University of Damascus called off mid-term exams scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in all its branches around Syria because of the extreme weather conditions. 

It comes amid a winter of unseasonably cold weather that also caused snowfall in Iraq last month, and is set to continue through the weekend in many places. 

Later, local authorities in the provinces of Sweida, Quneitra, Daraa and Tartous suspend school on Thursday due to the storm and heavy snowfall.

In the opposition-held northwestern Syria, civil defense teams have been building dirt mounds since Tuesday around camps for the displaced to prevent rain from flooding the crowded areas. 

Nearly 3 million displaced people live in northwestern Syria, mostly in tents and temporary shelters. Heavy rainfall last month damaged over 190 displacement sites, destroying and damaging over 10,000 tents.

In neighboring Lebanon, Storm Joyce hit late Tuesday with gale force winds registering between 52mph and 62mph. The storm is expected to get stronger Thursday.