BEIRUT: Several countries in the Middle East are bracing for cold weather this week, with snowstorm “Huda,” also called “Zeina,” expected to hit parts of Jordan, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

In Jordan, people are storing food and fuel in anticipation of possible shutdown of main roads and stores during the storm, according to media reports.

The country’s Petra News Agency has said that “a tangible drop in temperatures is expected on Wednesday, and it will be very cold, cloudy and rainy in the northern and central parts of the country extending gradually to other regions.”

On Thursday and Friday, temperatures in the capital Amman are expected to fall to 5 degrees Celsius, according to the Weather Channel. Snow is expected to accumulate between 1-3 inches.

In Lebanon, authorities have urged people to “drive carefully and not take any mountain roads before checking on their status — clear or blocked — and following up on the relevant meteorology reports,” the Beirut-based Daily Star reported.

Last year, meteorologists in the region reportedly agreed to name winter storms after Arab names of “blissful significance.”