An amateur nature photographer from Kibbutz Kabri in the western Galilee ventured out on Thursday to document Storm Byron as it swept across Israel’s coastline. Standing on the cliffs above Rosh Hanikra, camera in hand, Amir Yarchi described watching the system move toward shore in real time. “It’s a monster. I saw it shifting live,” he said.
Yarchi captured bolts of lightning striking off the coast between Rosh Hanikra, Nahariya and Haifa. “From the cliff, looking south, the storm looked like a massive black cloud with lightning firing from its edges,” he said. “When it reached land and moved east, it was incredibly fast for something that size.” He urged the public to heed official warnings. “I hope everyone gets through the storm safely. Don’t underestimate this—there’s still more to come.”
Lightning over the sea at Rosh Hanikra
(Video: Amir Yarchi)
Heavy rain, flooding and damage across central Israel
While the western Galilee absorbed more than 100 millimeters of rain, Yarchi noted that the region remains in severe drought for a second year. “Even with all this rain, it isn’t enough,” he said, pointing out that streams such as Nahal Betzet and Nahal Ga’aton remained dry until the storm began.
Farther south, heavy downpours triggered flooding across the Shfela, Gush Dan and the southern coastal plain. Fire and Rescue teams, Magen David Adom and police units were dispatched to rescue motorists trapped in flooded streets.
In Yavne, a branch of the Rami Levy supermarket chain filled with water, while in Rishon Lezion a tree fell in a schoolyard, lightly injuring two 10-year-old girls. In Nahariya, municipal officials urged residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary because of intense rainfall.
Rain later spread inland, sending a surge of runoff into Dead Sea tributaries and triggering flash floods. Police closed long stretches of Highway 90—from the entrance to Kalia Beach to the Dead Sea hotel district—due to major flooding.
Forecast
Rain is expected to continue intermittently overnight, with isolated thunderstorms mainly in central Israel and the northern Negev. Officials warn of continued flood risk along the coastal plain and the Shfela, and flash floods in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea region.
On Friday, local showers are forecast in central Israel and the northern Negev. Isolated thunderstorms remain possible through midday, along with ongoing flood risk, especially in the southern coastal plain. Rainfall is expected to weaken later in the afternoon.