From the Lebanese border to Kiryat Gat, heavy rain fell across wide areas of Israel on Thursday, with precipitation totals in some locations exceeding 60 millimeters and topping 70 millimeters in Karnei Shomron.
During the evening hours, the focus shifted to the northern Golan Heights, after the main rainfall earlier in the afternoon was concentrated over the Sharon region and Samaria. According to the Israel Meteorological Service website, the country’s rainfall leader since midnight was Karnei Shomron, which recorded 72.9 millimeters of rain by 10 p.m.
Stream flows in the Upper Galilee
(Video: Mohammad Nasser, Assad Khatib, Israel Nature and Parks Authority)
Next on the list was Merom Golan, where 66.1 millimeters were measured by 10 p.m., followed by the nearby community of El Rom with 64.4 millimeters. Two monitoring stations that recorded significant rainfall stopped transmitting data during the afternoon.
By 5 p.m., Hod Hasharon had received 58 millimeters of rain, including 33 millimeters in a single hour between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. By 9 p.m., Kfar Giladi in the Galilee Panhandle recorded 46.6 millimeters, Safed 34.5 millimeters, Nazareth 38.4 millimeters, Tiberias 19 millimeters and Mavo Hamma east of the Sea of Galilee 36 millimeters.
In Mitzpeh Harashim in the Misgav region, 51.5 millimeters were measured by 9 p.m., and Karmiel recorded 45.4 millimeters. Nahariya saw 32.4 millimeters, Acre 31.7 and the Haifa Bay area 30.4 millimeters. Zichron Yaakov recorded just under 30 millimeters, Hadera 21.9, Ra’anana 21.5, Ariel 38.4 and Herzliya 9.4 millimeters.
Rainfall totals in Tel Aviv ranged from 16.4 millimeters near the coast to 43.4 millimeters by 9 p.m. at the Kfar Hayarok station. In Rishon LeZion, 34 millimeters were recorded at the Rishonim station, while the meteorological station in Beit Dagan measured 24.9 millimeters. Kfar Chabad recorded 30.2 millimeters and Ben Gurion Airport 21 millimeters.
Farther south, Rehovot recorded 15.9 millimeters, Ashdod 10.9 and Ashkelon just 0.1 millimeters. In Jerusalem, rainfall totals were relatively low, ranging from 1.4 to 2.8 millimeters, with similarly dry conditions in surrounding areas. Kibbutz Tzuba recorded 3.4 millimeters and Beit Shemesh 4 millimeters.
What is expected next
The Israel Meteorological Service said that during the first part of the night, intermittent rain accompanied by isolated thunderstorms is expected from northern Israel to the northern Negev, with a risk of flooding in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea wadis, the northern Negev, and localized flooding along the central and southern coastal plain.
During the second half of the night, rainfall will weaken and become concentrated mainly in central Israel and the Negev, with continued flood risk in the Judean Desert, Dead Sea area and northern Negev, and concern for flooding particularly in the southern coastal plain and southern Shephelah.
On Friday, light and local rain is expected to continue, gradually diminishing during the day. Temperatures will drop slightly again, mainly in central and southern parts of the country.
No rain is expected on Saturday. Conditions will be partly cloudy to clear, with no significant change in temperatures, which will remain slightly below the seasonal average. Sunday and Monday are also expected to be dry, with brisk easterly winds in the northern and central mountains. Temperatures will be typical for the time of year.
When will the rain return
The Meteorological Service provides forecasts only several days ahead, but some international forecasting sites that offer longer-range outlooks predict that rain could return on Friday next week.