The Israel Meteorological Service has officially joined the European initiative for naming significant weather events, announcing "Coral" as the designation for an exceptional cold wave approaching Israel. The storm system is set to impact the country from this weekend into early next week.

The naming convention, established in partnership with meteorological services in Cyprus and Greece, was introduced at the season's start. While the first two named storms this season affected only Greece, Coral marks the first storm to target the eastern Mediterranean region, including Israel. Weather services typically reserve names for events that pose potential public safety risks and require advance preparation by authorities.

Coral is forecast to deliver arctic temperatures direct from the North Pole, accompanied by snowfall across the northern mountains, central regions, and likely Jerusalem. Current projections indicate snow will begin in the northern mountains on Saturday. The snowfall is expected to expand to unusually low elevations by Sunday, with snowfall possible in areas above 1,640–2,297 feet, stretching from the northern border through Jerusalem and extending to the Hebron hills. Meteorologists note it remains challenging to predict precise snowfall amounts and potential ground accumulation.

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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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Storm Aurore swept across parts of northern Europe on Thursday, leaving four dead in Poland and causing substantial damage in Germany, France, the Netherlands and elsewhere.

In the Netherlands, there were reports of mini-tornadoes injuring four people.

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A campsite in Zelhem near the German border was also struck by a whirlwind with a tree branch hitting a chalet, media reports said.

In France, around 40,000 homes were still without power by Thursday evening, with some 4,000 technicians called out to reconnect some affected 250,000 households.

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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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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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Magen David Adom paramedics had to resuscitate two of the family members at the scene. They were reportedly unconscious and not breathing when the first responders arrived.

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A 14-year-old boy was listed in critical condition. A woman in her 30s was listed in serious but stable condition and was in an induced coma and on a respirator. Another young man about 20 was in serious but stable condition. Two other members of the family sustained light to moderate injuries in the lightning strike.

MDA paramedic Keren Slobodnik said that when the first responders arrived, they saw two of the victims lying on the beach, unconscious. A third, she said, was "conscious but disoriented."

"The MDA team that was nearby started working to resuscitate the two who were unconscious, not breathing, and without a pulse. As soon as we arrived, we continued trying to revive the two. The heartbeat of one was restored, and we are now trying to resuscitate the other youth," Slobodnik said.

Eyewitness Guy Shlepkov, who also tried to help the injured parties, said the lighting strike was "quick and amazing."

"There weren't a lot of people on the beach. Suddenly, there was a really strong 'boom.' It's really lucky there were a few people and they called for help and started helping the injured. I ran to the lifeguard's booth and asked them to get help urgently. A few people helped out with first aid. A woman who had been hit [by the lightning] was complaining she couldn't move her legs," Shlepkov said.

Magen David Adom spokesman Zaki Heller characterized the incident as "serious and unusual."

Thunderstorms, as well as sandstorms, were being reported throughout southern Israel, from Ashkelon to Beersheba.

According to National Geographic, approximately 10% of lightning strike victims are killed, while 70% suffer long-term injuries. Some 400 people in the US survive being hit by lightning every year.

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