After several days of hot, summery weather, rain is expected to return to Israel at the start of next week, this time across wide areas of the north and center, the Israel Meteorological Service said.
A single rain event in August is considered rare and does not occur every year. Two such events in the same month are exceptionally unusual and, outside a handful of areas in northern Israel, could be unprecedented.
(Photo: AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Rain is expected overnight between Saturday and Sunday and into Sunday morning, bringing weather more typical of autumn despite the fact that it is still August. Local showers are forecast across northern and central Israel, including the coast, the coastal plain and inland areas.
In some locations, the rain could be relatively heavy and produce double-digit millimeter totals, particularly toward Sunday morning. The Meteorological Service said such amounts are highly unusual not only for August but also for September, and could once again break seasonal rainfall records in some areas if the forecast materializes.
This August has already produced highly unusual conditions, with above-average temperatures during much of the month alongside rain events that are not typical for the season.
According to the Meteorological Service’s longer-range forecasts, the August rainfall may only be a preview of a wetter pattern expected later in the season. More significant rain events are currently forecast for late September and October, when autumn conditions are expected to become more established.
The Meteorological Service said it would continue updating the forecast in the coming days as the expected summer rain event approaches.