Israel will get one more day of late-summer heat Thursday before the weather changes sharply on Friday, bringing rain, stronger winds and much cooler temperatures.
Thursday is expected to be mostly clear, with temperatures remaining above average for mid-September across much of the country. The mountains and inland areas will be particularly hot and dry, while conditions along the Mediterranean coast will be humid.
(Photo: Tammy Nehemia/Sea of Galilee Cities Association)
Extreme heat stress is forecast around the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley and the Arava. UV levels are expected to be high to very high, while the Mediterranean will be calm to moderately rough, with waves of 30 to 60 centimeters.
The change will arrive by Friday morning, when showers are expected in northern Israel and along the Mediterranean coast. Temperatures will fall noticeably, especially in the mountains and inland areas, bringing them back to seasonal norms.
Tiberias is forecast to be about 7°C (13°F) cooler than Thursday, while Jerusalem is expected to see a drop of around 5°C (9°F). Winds will also pick up across much of the country.
The Israel Meteorological Service expects the rain to ease by Friday afternoon. Most of northern Israel could receive 5 to 10 millimeters, with totals reaching as much as 15 millimeters in parts of the Galilee and northern coastal region.
Central Israel is expected to see lighter rainfall, generally around 5 millimeters and concentrated mainly on Friday morning.
Saturday will remain partly cloudy, with temperatures holding steady. Some drizzle may linger in the north and along the coast through the afternoon.
On Sunday, the eve of Yom Kippur, the morning will begin partly cloudy before skies clear later in the day. Temperatures will rise slightly but remain close to seasonal averages across most of the country. Similar conditions are expected on Yom Kippur itself.
Forecast temperatures for Thursday: Jerusalem 20-32°C (68-90°F); Tel Aviv 23-31°C (73-88°F); Haifa 23-31°C (73-88°F); Safed 21-32°C (70-90°F); Katzrin 21-36°C (70-97°F); Tiberias 23-36°C (73-97°F); Nazareth 22-36°C (72-97°F); Afula 21-36°C (70-97°F); Beit She’an 25-39°C (77-102°F); Lod 22-33°C (72-91°F); Ashdod 23-32°C (73-90°F); Ein Gedi 28-38°C (82-100°F); Be'er Sheva 21-36°C (70-97°F); Mitzpe Ramon 23-34°C (73-93°F); Eilat 30-41°C (86-106°F)