Israel hit by storms as rain returns across the country
Multiple cities see heavy rainfall, unseasonal cold due to depression over eastern Mediterranean; floods expected in Dead Sea region.
After a week of clement weather, Israel started the week with one of its rainiest nights in w while. Between 10 -15mm of rain fell in Tel Aviv overnight, while the Upper Galilee, Sea of Galilee, Haifa and Sharon also saw significant rainfall. In the Afula area, almost 17mm of rain fell in just one hour.
The most rain was in the Carmel, which has seen 32mm fall since Saturday night. Netanya measured 24mm, Jerusalem 10mm and Safed 9mm. In the Golan Heights, 5-10mm fell and 4mm in the Lachish region.
The rain will continue sporadically across Israel throughout Sunday, from the north to the Negev, with possible thunderstorms predicted. There is some concern of localized flooding, especially along the coast and the coastal plain down to Ashdod and Ashkelon. There were also flood warnings at the Dead Sea area, primarily during the morning hours.
The weather will remain partly cloudy to cloudy, and with lower than normal temperatures for the season. By Sunday afternoon, a drop in rainfall was expected.
Meteorological experts say the bad weather is due to a depression over the eastern Mediterranean region. The Mediterranean Sea will see southeast to southwest winds of 20-45 mph, and there may be a few gusts of up to 60 mph. The seas will be rough, with waves reaching heights of 160-280cm, although these were expected to subside as the day progressed.
