The rains are expected to continue on Thursday. By the afternoon – and particularly tomorrow – precipitation will intensify significantly, bringing a high risk of flooding. Localized rainfall is possible in the southern Negev. There is a serious concern regarding flash floods in the streams of the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea, and the northern Arava. A severe flood warning is in effect for the coastal plain and the Shfela (lowlands). Winds will be brisk, and temperatures will dip below the seasonal average.

Video: Storm Byron in Israel / Credit: Omri Zinger, Moshe Ben Simchon

Minute by minute – all the updates

1:40 p.m. | A tree collapsed in the courtyard of an educational institution in Rishon LeZion. Magen David Adom teams provided medical treatment and evacuated two approximately 10-year-old girls in mild condition with head injuries to Shamir-Assaf Harofeh Hospital.

1:30 p.m. | Magen David Adom teams were dispatched in the last half hour to several locations in the Shfela (lowlands), where vehicles became trapped in floodwaters. Rescue units are currently assisting with extraction efforts and stand ready to provide medical treatment if required.

Video: Yavne floods on Dec. 11, 2025 / Credit: Usage under Article 27a of Israel's intellectual property law

1:22 p.m. | Floodwaters have inundated King George Street in Tel Aviv.

1:15 p.m. | Footage from the Gaza Strip shows the collapse of a four-story building in the al-Nasr neighborhood of western Gaza City.

12:20 p.m. | Intense rainfall has lashed the Shfela (lowlands) in recent hours, with flooding recorded in cities including Rehovot. Rishon LeZion recorded 40 millimeters (1.6 inches) of rain in just three hours. Heavy rains persist along the northern coast, raising concerns of flooding near Zichron Yaakov. These heavy rains will continue along the coastal plain – specifically the southern coast and the lowlands – before spreading inland. Flash floods are expected in the Dead Sea streams throughout the day.

Video: Gaza building collapses during Storm Byron / Dec. 11, 2025

11:50 a.m. | Heavy fog has been reported in Daliyat al-Karmel.

10:50 a.m. | Interim Summary – High daily rainfall totals were measured this morning, primarily in the Carmel and Carmel Coast regions. Because this area also received significant precipitation at the start of the current system, cumulative totals there are far higher than in the rest of the country.

In the Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve, 205 millimeters (8 inches) have accumulated since Saturday, with 94 millimeters (3.7 inches) falling in the last 24 hours alone. Atlit recorded 193 millimeters (7.6 inches) over the past three days, including 93 millimeters (3.7 inches) in the last day. Storm-level totals of 130-150 millimeters (5.1-5.9 inches) were recorded in Haifa and the Carmel, while the coastal plain north of Haifa and the northern Sharon region saw 100-120 millimeters (3.9-4.7 inches).

Video: Tel Aviv flooding on King George Street / Credit: Adi Nirman

Additionally, highly developed cloud formations moved over the area in the last 24 hours, bringing reports of hail. Today, the weather map will finally balance out as northwesterly winds drive the main rain clouds toward the center and south of the country.

Rainfall in central and southern Israel is expected to intensify. Within less than 24 hours, accumulations of 50-100 millimeters (2-4 inches) – and locally even more – are possible in the central and southern coastal plain. Heavy rain is also forecast for the central mountains, with a high probability of flash floods in the Judean Desert and northern Negev.

10:15 a.m. | Flooding and rain from Storm Byron reported in Gaza – civilians were seen attempting to navigate flooded roads.

9:30 a.m. | A 53-year-old man was found lifeless in Netanya with signs of hypothermia following the cold weather.

8:30 a.m. | Rainfall records for the last 48 hours according to the Israel Meteorological Service: Ein Carmel 165 millimeters (6.5 inches), Haifa Technion 139.7 millimeters (5.5 inches), Zichron Ya'akov 112.6 millimeters (4.4 inches), Shavei Zion 104.8 millimeters (4.1 inches), Nahariya 99.9 millimeters (3.9 inches).

7:57 a.m. | The Haifa and Carmel areas are leading the accumulated precipitation amounts over the last two days with 160–170 millimeters (6.3–6.7 inches), and 70 millimeters (2.8 inches) in the last 12 hours.

From the afternoon hours, the rains will enter the central and southern coast with strong rainfall intensity and dozens of millimeters of accumulation. The heavy rains will continue until the evening hours at least.

5:45 a.m. | Starting this morning (Thursday), temperatures will drop below the seasonal average. Rain accompanied by thunderstorms will fall intermittently from northern Israel to the northern Negev, with light rain possible in the southern Negev. Furthermore, there is a risk of flash floods in the Judean Desert, Dead Sea, and northern Arava streams, and a severe risk of urban flooding along the Coastal Plain and in the Shfela (Lowlands). Strong wind gusts are likely.

11:08 p.m. | Municipalities across the country have raised their alert level to "full storm protocol" in anticipation of the weather system. Operational units specializing in drainage, infrastructure, enforcement, and security have been reinforced and placed on standby to handle flooding, road blockages, and debris removal. Pumping crews and heavy engineering equipment have been deployed, underground passage systems inspected, and municipal call centers are operating on an emergency footing. The public is urged to avoid crossing flooded roads on foot or by vehicle, to secure loose objects susceptible to strong winds, and to avoid entering basements or underground parking garages during flood events.

10:24 p.m. | Update from Netivei Israel (National Transport Infrastructure Company): Road 40 has been closed to traffic in both directions from Tzihor Junction to the entrance of Mitzpe Ramon due to flooding.

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The Sharon Drainage and Streams Authority published a similar request to the public, noting that during the storm period, it is important to avoid arriving at flow points and streams, even if they appear calm. The authority emphasized that, in the event of floods, blockages, or exceptional flows, reports should be made to emergency centers at local authorities and action taken in accordance with the rescue forces' instructions.

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The Alfis winter storm system made its way to Israel in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and is expected to high winds and heavy rain to most of the country, starting in the north and spreading to the coastal areas.

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Overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, Mount Hermon and the northern Golan Heights saw another round of snowfall, with accumulation of some 20 cm (eight inches) by mid-morning Wednesday. Hilly regions of the Galilee and central Israel, including Jerusalem, at altitudes of 700 meters (2,200 feet) and higher were also expected to receive snow later Wednesday.

Video: Golan Heights Regional Council

Meteo-Tech Meteorological Services forecast that Jerusalem could see accumulation of 10-20 cm (four to eight inches) of snow; while Golan communities at the 1,000-meter (3,300-foot) altitude and higher could see 40-50 cm (16-20 inches) of snow on the ground.

Heavy rain, thunderstorms, and hail heavy enough to cause flooding were expected in the lower-lying coast, coastal plain, and rural ravines starting Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, haze and sandstorms were affecting air quality in the Negev.

The precipitation was forecast to bring with it unusually cold temperatures.

In preparation for the winter storm conditions, the Israel Police decided to close down several highways on the Golan Heights, and informed the public that more routes might be closed later in the day. The Transportation Ministry has warned that the storm might affect public transportation.

The Jerusalem Municipality has set up a special situation room to handle the needs of residents during the storm.  The school day in Safed ended early on Wednesday, while schools on the Golan Heights were also preparing to close.

Farther to the south, the Har Hebron Regional Council was also making preparations for snow. The Israel Electric Corporation has set up generators in areas of the Hebron Hills where power outages were expected. The council has also called in trucks and snowplows  from Netivei Israel- National Transport Infrastructure Company and the IDF to "handle" the snow.

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Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Sunday reached out to Turkey's defense attaché to Israel as well as the Turkish Defense Ministry and offered to send a search and rescue delegation to help Turkey cope with the aftermath of devastating floods.

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Gantz said that a team from the IDF Home Front Command could also provide medical personnel and supplies.

At least 58 people have been killed by flooding in northern Turkey, and on Sunday afternoon, dozens more were missing.

The flooding began after heavy rains that started last Wednesday near the Black Sea and have affected three Turkish provinces.

Recently, strained Israeli-Turkish relations have shown signs of thawing. Last month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan congratulated President Isaac Herzog on his election victory, the first conversation between Erdogan and a senior Israeli official since 2013.

The conversation lasted some 40 minutes, and Herzog and Erdogan agreed to bolster bilateral relations, stressing that ties between Israel and Turkey were of great importance to stability and security in the greater Middle East, and that cooperation between the two countries had great potential, especially in the energy, tourism, and technology sectors.

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A day after the heaviest rainfall seen in coastal Israel in over a quarter century caused massive flooding and damage, the forecast called for more floods in the Jordan Valley, the Judean Desert, and Dead Sea areas on Friday.

Light rainfall was forecast for the coast throughout Friday night.

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Scattered showers were forecast for northern and central Israel on Saturday, too.

Thursday saw especially heavy rainfall in Tel Aviv and Hod Hasharon, the Ashdod-Ashkelon area, and Nahariya and the western Galilee. All of these areas saw over 100 millimeters (nearly 4 inches) of rain.

This November has seen considerably more rainfall than average, and for coastal Israel, it has been the rainiest November since 1994.

Some areas of Israel's coast have already seen over 40% of their average annual rainfall.

In related news, the Sea of Galilee is rising and as of Friday morning was up by 1.5 centimeters (0.59 inches), putting its upper level at 209.94 meters (688.7 feet) below sea level.

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Pressures from global warming could intensify political tensions, unrest and conflict, fuel violent extremism and break down government security systems, the experts said in a report by the Center of Climate and Security, a nonpartisan policy institute.

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War-torn countries in Africa and the Middle East were cited as most at risk, but industrialized regions are vulnerable, it said.

"Even at scenarios of low warming, each region of the world will face severe risks to national and global security in the next three decades," the report said.

"Higher levels of warming will pose catastrophic, and likely irreversible, global security risks over the course of the 21st century."

Concerns over the impact of climate change have led to calls to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the pace of global warming amid instances of climate-related extreme weather such as wildfires and floods.

A United Nations report last year warned of dire consequences as well.

The research released on Monday warned of displaced populations driven from their homes by rising heat, drought and dwindling water and food supplies.

Disease would spread, and border security and infrastructure would break down as resources grow more scarce, fueling extremism, crime and human trafficking, it said.

"We're really looking at a bleak future if we see more and more countries become fragile," said Rod Schoonover, a former intelligence analyst and co-author of the report, who spoke at a briefing about the report.

Panel members included former US government security officials and climate security experts.

The experts assessed threats under two scenarios – if the planet warmed by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius or by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius – by the end of the century.

The UN has warned that if emissions are not drastically lowered, the average global temperature will increase by 4 degrees Celsius by then.

A global pact to fight climate change was agreed upon in Paris in 2015 that aimed to keep the earth's temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has initiated efforts to pull the United States out of the Paris pact.

"I don't mean to be a doomsayer, but this is bad stuff," said retired Gen. Gordon Sullivan, a former US Army chief of staff, who spoke at the briefing but was not directly involved in the report.

"My question is, 'Is the US going to lead or are we going to stand around and watch?'" he said. "We need someone to step up and say 'I'll do it. Send me.'"

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The man was swept up in a flood in the Ga'aton Creek near the city as he was trying to rescue family members and other residents who had gotten caught in a flood that resulted from torrential rains earlier Wednesday.

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Firefighters and rescue workers spent two hours searching for the man.

Magen David Adom paramedic Eran Friedlander said, "We got to the beach near the marina, with the ambulance. About 100 meters north of the mouth of the Ga'aton Creek, at the edge of the war, we saw a man who was unconscious without a pulse and wasn't breathing. It was a really stormy day and huge amounts of water were flowing around us."

Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him, to no avail.

Also in Nahariya Wednesday, firefighters rescued 15 children who were trapped in a flooded kindergarten.

To the northwest, schools on the northern Golan Heights were closed due to heavy snowfall.

A car is pulled out of floodwaters in Nahariya

Video: Hadshot Bazman

In Haifa, a woman in labor whose vehicle was stuck on a flooded road was rescued and taken safely to local hospital.

Paramedics Oded Golan and Eliad Deutsch, senior MDA personnel who were scrambled to the scene, said, "We were called to the scene of a car where there was a woman about 30 years old whose water had broken on her way to the hospital … She had been stuck in a traffic jam for about an hour."

The paramedics said they had been called out in an all-terrain vehicle and were able to reach the woman quickly and take her to the maternity ward at Rambam Medical Center.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority put out a special message on Tuesday stressing that until Saturday evening, there was a risk of flash floods in the Judean Desert and southern Israel, as well as local flooding and strong winds. To that effect, the INPA said, hikers were ordered to avoid creek beds and ravines until the water level dropped.

"Stay away from the edge of ravines during floods, lest the cliff collapse," the message read.

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Rescue crews had to use scuba gear to reach the elevator and pull out the pair. Harari was rushed to Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv in critical condition, suffering from hypothermia. Doctors attempted to revive her but were forced to declare her dead.

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Paramedics attempted to resuscitate Shoshani at the scene, then evacuated him to the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer for further treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The downpour intensified in the afternoon and caused flooding in areas across the coastal city of Tel Aviv, forcing road closures and stoking fears of additional deaths.

Shoshani and Harari will be laid to rest in adjacent graves.

The scene of the elevator accident in south Tel Aviv

Video: Avi Cohen

"We had our Dean for 25 years and now we are giving him back," said Shoshani's father, weeping. "The police and the fire department have spoken with us. Welfare workers from the city have been here," the father said.

Harari's brother Amit left a Facebook post mourning his sister in which he wrote, "My big sister, the light of the family, the prettiest girl in kindergarten. I don't believe I'm waking up to a morning without you. It's not easy to take it, it's a tragedy for the whole family … I'm broken without you. I miss you," Harari wrote.

Although the horrific accident took place on Saturday afternoon, no response from the city was forthcoming until Saturday night, when Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai put out a short message that stated, "I want to offer my condolences to the families of the two [city] residents who were killed today."

Local resident Shoshana Cohen, 71, who lives near the building where Shoshani and Harari met their deaths, said Sunday that "It hurts to know that two young kids lost their lives in such a tragic death. The infrastructure here in the area is really bad, and we here in the south of the city are second-class citizens. But why do these sweet kids have to die because of that?"

The Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality said the accident was under investigation.

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