Heavy rainfall leads to flooding, power outages
Israelis' delight over the first major rainfall of the season turns slightly sour as unprepared city streets flood, causing traffic jams and intermittent power outages.
Israel experienced heavy rainfall on Monday morning, mainly in the north and center of the country, leading to flooding and power outages in several cities.
The storms started in northern Israel, with a number of streets flooded in Nahariya, Ramat Yishai and Kfar Manda.
The rains then spread down the country to the Sharon region and central Israel. By 8am, Tel Aviv and the central cities started experiencing the brunt of the deluge.
Meteo-Tech said a significant decrease in temperatures is expected, forecasted to be unseasonably low.
The stormy weather caused several large-scale power outages in the Hadera area. Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) teams were sent to fix the problem.
Meanwhile, electricity was cut off in various areas of Kiryat Bialik as well, with the IEC trying to locate the source of the problem.
Avi Jacob Tsada, a Meteo-Tech meteorologist, said Haifa experienced about 7 mm of rain on Monday morning.
Later Monday, rainfall is expected to continue sporadically in the north and center of the country—particularly in the coastal region.
The storms are expected to subside by the afternoon, while Tuesday is expected to be partly cloudy and unseasonably cold.
On Wednesday the temperatures are expected to return to normal.
Ahiya Raved, Itay Blumenthal, Hassan Shaalan and Matan Tzuri contributed to this article.
