Video: Lightning strikes Gesher / Gesher security team

Over the course of the night, dozens of thousands of thunderstorms and lightning developed across widespread regions. The weather gradually intensified, beginning in the Arabah and along the coastal plain. Large quantities of rain fell across many areas in the northern and central parts of the country , accompanied by both hail and wind gusts.

Video: Vehicle being rescued after flooding in Tamra / Israel Fire and Rescue Service

Rainfall measurements reached 50 mm (1.97 inches) in Karnei Shomron , 47 mm (1.85 inches) in Mevo Dotan , 39 mm (1.54 inches) in Ariel , approximately 33 mm (1.30 inches) in Haifa , and around 30 mm (1.18 inches) in Modi'in. Substantial rains also began to fall toward the morning in parts of the Negev and the Judean Desert. Water flows started in some Judean Desert wadis and in the Ramat HaNegev and Beersheba areas. Rain totals in these southern areas included: roughly 35 mm (1.38 inches) at the Negev Junction , about 28 mm (1.10 inches) in Beersheba , around 25 mm (0.98 inches) in the Nevatim region , approximately 18 mm (0.71 inches) in Mitzpe Ramon , about 6 mm (0.24 inches) in Yotvata , and even 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) in Paran.

Video: Flooding in southern Israel / Yuval Tobol

In the south, first responder teams responded to the weather conditions by operating in several simultaneous rescue incidents. At the Yattir Stream, a truck that had been swept away by a flash flood was rescued. Crews from the Beersheba and Hura stations executed complicated rescue procedures. The individual who was trapped was rescued in good condition and was transferred to Magen David Adom teams for ongoing medical care. On Highway 358, a person was rescued from a vehicle after flood flows made further driving impossible. Additionally, in the Ramot neighborhood of Beersheba, Israel Fire and Rescue Services teams rescued two vehicles stranded by flooding on Ben Zvi Boulevard.

Video: Binyamin Regional Council flooding / Credit: Usage under Israel's Intellectual Property Law Article 27a

In the Northern District, Fire and Rescue Services and Rescue crews from the Central Galilee station, supported by the Special Rescue Unit, rescued two trapped persons from an off-road vehicle that became stuck in a channel near Highway 70 in the Tamra area. Strong water runoff had dragged the vehicle into that location. The firefighters secured the vehicle using the fire truck , and subsequently carried out a rescue operation using ropes , successfully extracting the driver and passenger to safety.

Video: Flooding in northern Israel / Credit: Social media

From the overnight hours until now, Magen David Adom teams were also dispatched to multiple reports of house floods and vehicles stuck in puddles. Magen David Adom teams were sent to incidents involving people trapped in cars in puddles and house floods in Kiryat Gat, Shfaram, Modi'in Illit, Kiryat Motzkin, Beit Shemesh, Beersheba, Rahat, Kafr Qasim, and Tirat Carmel. After an assessment, none of the individuals required medical treatment.

Video: Flooding in northern Israel's Nesher town / Credit: Social media

Rains are expected to continue falling from the north to the northern Negev over the next few hours , with some being very powerful. There remains a significant risk of flash floods in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea wadis , as well as in the Negev and Arabah. There is also a risk of flooding in the coastal plain, the north, and the central mountains. Only during the latter half of Tuesday will the rains substantially decrease , practically ceasing entirely in the evening.

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An extraordinarily intense rain system has swept across Israel in recent hours, causing widespread flooding and road closures throughout the country. At the height of the weather event, the coastal city of Ashdod recorded 5.04 inches of rain per hour, with an astounding 1.97 inches falling in just 30 minutes – a volume typically seen spread across one to two full days of rainfall.

Video: Heavy rainfall in Ashdod / Credit: Free usage under Israeli copyright law (Section 27A)

The Nahal David stream has overflowed, flooding Route 90 and forcing police to close the main artery between Dragot Cliffs Junction and Ein Gedi Junction in both directions. On Route 6 northbound, one of three lanes was blocked past Horashim due to flooding, while Route 1 saw one lane closure between Ben-Gurion International Airport interchange and eastward. The Sea of Galilee's water level has risen by 0.39 inches in the past day.

Video: The Qumran stream / Credit: Dan Farkash, Nature and Parks Authority

The Ashdod Municipality's Winter Command Center tracked a series of powerful rain waves that descended upon the city from the early morning hours. The first major wave struck at 3:50 a.m., dumping 1.85 inches of rain across various districts, followed by a massive cloud formation at 6:20 a.m. that brought peak precipitation levels. The resulting floods forced the closure of ten major traffic routes throughout the city, though emergency services have managed to restore access to half of these arteries.

Weather forecasts indicate partly to mostly cloudy conditions will persist throughout Tuesday, with intermittent rainfall from the north to the Negev accompanied by isolated thunderstorms. Minor flood risks remain along the coastal plain until noon, with slight concerns for flash floods in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea wadis. The Mediterranean Sea remains dangerous for swimming with waves reaching heights of 4.6 to 9.2 feet and water temperatures at 68°F, while the Sea of Galilee reports moderate conditions with waves of 1 to 2 feet and water temperatures at 66.2°F.

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After a long stretch of spring-like conditions that have made many Israelis lose hope that winter would finally show up, Tuesday night offered new hope as thunderstorms poured copious amounts of water on Israel's coast. 

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As of early Wednesday morning, the storm has caused massive disruptions in multiple areas, with first responders helping motorists who had been stuck in flooded areas. One such incident almost ended in tragedy when a vehicle with four passengers fell into the strong currents of the Jordan River after trying to cross a bridge.

Video: First-responders rescue man trapped in flooded road / Petach Tikva Fire and Rescue Service

In central Israel, a man almost drowned after he was trapped in a locked car that had gotten stuck in a flooded area. He was rescued by firefighters and then evacuated to receive medical care.  

Meanwhile, in Israel's only ski resort, Mount Hermon just north of the Golan Heights, saw at least 30 cm (11 inches) fall overnight Tuesday, raising hopes that Israelis would finally get to enjoy a winter wonderland before spring. 

The blustery weather is expected to continue to pick up steam over the weekend and reach its peak on Sunday, with severe flood warnings issued for coastal cities and the Judean foothills, as well as flash floods in Israel's eastern streams - including in the northern Negev and the Arava – mainly due to the low permeability of the soil. 

Video: Car falls into Jordan river amid blustery weather / Israel Police

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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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The first major storm system of winter 2021-22, dubbed "Carmel" by Israel's meteorological authorities, hit the country early month, dumping heavy rain on northern and central Israel, accompanies by thunder, lighting, and heavy winds.

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Snowfall was reported on Mount Hermon Monday morning, and the storm was expected to intensify Monday afternoon.

Earlier Monday, the heavy wind toppled a tree in Netanya, which fell on a 49-year-old man who was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Commander of the IDF's ground forces Maj. Gen. Yoav Strick has issued instructions to stop a number of training regimen due to weather conditions, although ongoing training in northern Israel is at the discretion of division commanders.

"The IDF is working to protect the safety of those who serve, while taking care to maintain the forces' operational readiness," the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said.

Also Monday, personnel from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority blocked off a number of hiking trails in flood-prone areas nationwide.

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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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On Friday morning, search and rescue teams located the body of a teen who was swept away in Yarka Creek on Thursday.

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Omri Abu-Najab, 14, had reportedly tried to cross the swollen creek in an all-terrain vehicle. A 23-year-old man who was with him managed to fight his way out of the rushing water.

Video: Hof District Search and Rescue Services

Video: Search and rescue workers look for Omri Abu-Najab on Thursday

On Thursday, a man who was swept away in Tzalmon Creek and was found in critical condition was pronounced dead at Rebecca Sieff Hospital in Safed.

According to the man's relatives, he had gone out to shut the gate to the family's goat pen. When he failed to return, the family notified the police, who began searches and eventually found him by the creek.

The rain this week brought the heaviest single-day rainfall in northern Israel since records have been kept. As of Thursday evening, the Sea of Galilee had risen 8.5 cm (3.3 inches), mostly as a result of a downpour that dropped some 65 mm (2.5 inches) of rain.

The northern Golan Heights saw 150 mm (5.9 inches) of rain, which increased the water levels and flow in the Jordan River and in the creeks on the Golan Heights.

Which region got the most rain? As of Thursday evening, it was the western Galilee, which was drenched with nearly 200 mm (7.87 inches) of rain. Swells were reported in the Hilazon and Beit Ha'emek creeks.

The Sharon region, northeast of Tel Aviv, saw over 100 mm (3.9 inches) of rain, which caused the Hadera and Alexander creeks to swell.

According to the Israel Meteorological Service, the current storm, which started on Dec. 25, has dropped the most rain ever seen in northern Israel in a single day.

"The heavy rain that fell in northern Israel wiped out the deficit that had existed," said meteorologist Lior Sudri of the company Meteo-Tech.

"Before the storm started, the total rainfall had been about half the average for this time of year. Now the amount of rain is close to the average, and has even surpassed it in some places," Sudari said.

Snowfall was reported on Mount Hermon, with accumulation of 7.9 inches on the lower slopes and 15.7 inches on the upper. The Mount Hermon ski facilities were shut due to the storm.

Elsewhere on Thursday, a commercial vessel that was supposed to dock at the Ashdod Port was driven off course by the storm and went aground on the beach south of the port. No injuries were reported.

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