Stormy weather began early Saturday morning with rainfall concentrated mainly in the north, but also affecting parts of central Israel. Due to the conditions, Route 234 at the Tsalim Bridge was closed to traffic until further notice.
Overnight, rain fell from northern Israel down to the northern Negev, accompanied by isolated thunderstorms. At the same time, snow fell on Mount Hermon. Today, intermittent showers are expected from the north through the northern Negev. Isolated thunderstorms are possible in the morning, and there remains a risk of flooding in eastern streams. Winds will be gusty. From the afternoon, rainfall will gradually weaken and become more scattered, before intensifying again overnight. Temperatures will remain colder than usual.
Despite this, the peak of the system is expected on Monday, when rainfall will focus on central Israel. According to the Israel Meteorological Service, very heavy precipitation of 60–80 millimeters is forecast within just a few hours in the Sharon, West Bank and the Judean foothills during the first half of the day. There is a significant risk of flooding and flash floods in the Alexander, Yarkon, Ayalon, Sorek and Lachish rivers. Strong winds of 90–100 kilometers per hour are also expected.
On Tuesday, drizzle to light local rain may continue in northern and central Israel, accompanied by a slight drop in temperatures. On Wednesday, the final day of 2025, skies will be partly cloudy, with local rain in the north. Gusty winds are expected along the coastal plain, while temperatures will rise slightly in central and southern Israel.
The forecast for Thursday, which will usher in 2026, has not yet been published by the Israel Meteorological Service. However, international weather sites predict rain, as well as additional rainy days during the first week of the new year, beginning Sunday, January 4.
Forecast temperatures for Sunday and Sunday night: Jerusalem 9°C–11°C, Tel Aviv 15°C–17°C, Haifa 14°C–15°C, Safed 7°C–10°C, Katzrin 9°C–13°C, Tiberias 12°C–17°C, Nazareth 10°C–13°C, Afula 12°C–16°C, Beit She’an 12°C–17°C, Lod 12°C–16°C, Ashdod 16°C–18°C, Ein Gedi 13°C–18°C, Beersheba 11°C–16°C, Mitzpe Ramon 7°C–12°C, Eilat 14°C–21°C.
Rainfall leaders
The highest rainfall was recordedSaturday in Karmiel. According to the Meteorological Service, 50.2 millimeters fell there from Friday until 9:00 p.m. Saturday. Rain reached as far south as Mitzpe Ramon, where the lowest amount of the current system was recorded, just 0.9 millimeters.
Second-highest rainfall was measured at Kibbutz Hefetz Haim near Gedera, with 40.8 millimeters, slightly more than the 40.2 millimeters recorded at Mitzpe Harashim in the Misgav region. Significant rainfall was also recorded along the northern coastal plain: 36.6 millimeters in Acre, 36.1 in Shavei Zion, 31.2 in Haifa Bay, 27.8 in Nahariya and 22.7 millimeters near the Technion in Haifa.
At Kibbutz Manara near Kiryat Shmona along the northern border, 36.2 millimeters fell over the weekend. El Rom in the northern Golan Heights recorded 29.4 millimeters, while Kibbutz Amiad north of the Sea of Galilee saw 36.9 millimeters. A similar amount was recorded at the Dir Hanna monitoring station.
Notable rainfall was also measured around the Sea of Galilee: 22.6 millimeters in Kfar Menachem, 18.7 in Tiberias and 19.2 in Tzemach. As a result, a significant rise in the Sea of Galilee’s water level may finally be seen, after little change since the start of the rainy season.
Rain also affected central Israel. Measurement stations in Tel Aviv recorded between 18.7 and 24.7 millimeters. Rishon LeZion saw 14 millimeters, Rehovot 15.9 millimeters, and the port of Ashdod further south recorded 22.9 millimeters. The community of Nitzan in the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council recorded 39.1 millimeters.
In Itamar in Samaria, 17 millimeters fell, while Karnei Shomron recorded 33.9 millimeters and Ariel 25.7 millimeters. Jerusalem’s monitoring stations measured between 15.6 and 20 millimeters, slightly less than Beit Shemesh, which recorded 23.2 millimeters. In the south, the Sderot area received 26.5 millimeters and Lahav 17.7 millimeters, while Beersheba recorded just 4.2 millimeters of rain.