Flooding in Kiryat Yam
January rains wash over Israel
It was a wet month after a winter storm that caused power outages and road closures, with the town of Daliyat al-Karmel taking the title of rainiest town in Israel for the month.
January 2015 was exceptionally rainy, according to a report by Dr. Amos Porat of the Israel Meteorology Service.
The coastal plain saw 105-200 millimeters of rain, about 110-150 percent of the January average in its northern part, and 150-200 percent in its southern part. The northern Negev got 180-200 percent of the usual January amount.
The place that received the most rain was Daliyat al-Karmel, located on Mount Carmel, with 284 millimeters.
Flooding in Ein Tamar in the Aravah (Photo: Gil Ebban)
Meanwhile, the location that got the most precipitation since the beginning of the rainy season was Harashim in the Misgav region in the north, which saw 550 millimeters.
Tel Aviv was the rainiest major city during the season, with 464 millimeters, edging past Jerusalem's 444.
A major winter storm on January beginning on January 6 lasted for several days. The weather knocked down trees and power lines in central Israel, while schools and roads were closed in Jerusalem. Up to 17,000 homes lost electricity during the initial downpour.
Flooding in Netanya (Photo: Carmi Dik)
The night between Janaury 9 and 10 was notably cold in much of the country. A weather station in Merom Golan in the northern Golan Heights recorded a low of 14.2 degrees below zero Celsius, the coldest temperature at that station in the 35 years it has functioned.
