Weather: Sharp temperature drop, scattered showers after record heat, flood warnings issued
After the unusual heat wave of recent days, the weather is flipping again. Local showers are expected Tuesday morning, accompanied by isolated thunderstorms. The Israel Meteorological Service issued a flood warning for the coastal plain and the Shfela, and said there is concern about flash floods in streams of the Judean Desert, the Dead Sea area and the Arava.
Rain will lessen during the day and temperatures will drop sharply. At night, light, local rain is possible mainly along the coastal plain, with partly cloudy skies.
Rain leaders overnight
Between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., Beersheba recorded the highest rainfall total, 26.9 mm. Haifa followed with 25.8 mm measured at one station, and Ariel recorded 18.2 mm. Acre saw 12.6 mm; Kfar Aza 4.5 mm; Afula 4.1 mm; Kiryat Gat 3.3 mm; one station in Jerusalem 1.2 mm; Lod and Ben-Gurion Airport 1.9 mm; Herzliya 1.3 mm; Rehovot 1.1 mm; Ashkelon 0.8 mm; Tiberias 0.6 mm; and one station in Ashdod 0.4 mm. Cities where no rainfall was measured included Tel Aviv, Rishon LeZion, Ramat Gan and Eilat.
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Map of accumulated rainfall
(Photo: Israel Meteorological Service)
Rescues amid flooding
Firefighters have been working across the country to rescue people because of the rainy weather. In Nahal Yatir, crews are extracting a pickup truck swept away in a flash flood. On Route 358, they rescued a driver trapped in a vehicle surrounded by flowing water. In the Ramot neighborhood of Beersheba, firefighters pulled out two cars stuck in flooded streets. Fire and Rescue Services said there were no injuries.
In the Samaria community of Elkana, residents were evacuated from their homes after flooding. Fire and Rescue Services said several apartments were inundated, with water levels reaching about a meter. About 10 people were rescued unharmed, including an infant. Shift commander Tomer Bachar said crews had prepared in advance for the stormy weather, arrived with reinforced teams, prioritized residents for evacuation and brought them out safely. Fire and Rescue Services said water-rescue units and the elite Lahava unit are on heightened readiness, and command centers are staffed for any scenario.
Forecast
On Wednesday, skies will be partly cloudy to clear, with a slight rise in temperatures, mainly in the mountains and inland areas. More warming is expected Thursday and again Friday, with temperatures higher than usual for the season.
Expected temperatures today and tonight (Celsius):
Jerusalem 12-19, Tel Aviv 18-22, Haifa 17-21, Safed 11-18, Katzrin 14-20, Tiberias 17-23, Nazareth 15-20, Afula 15-23, Beit She’an 18-25, Lod 15-22, Ashdod 19-22, Ein Gedi 18-24, Beersheba 16-22, Mitzpe Ramon 12-17, Eilat 20-27.
Stretch of hot days
The current heat wave lasted about five to six days. It was not unprecedented, with similar November heat waves recorded in the second half of the month in 1962, 1966, 1979, 1999 and 2002. A comparable event began in November 2010 and continued into December, the period of the major Carmel fire.
The meteorological service said maximum temperature records for this time of year were broken at many stations across the country, in most regions. In some places the records were surpassed by a wide margin, with temperatures 1 to 2 degrees Celsius above the previous highs. For example, Eilat reached 37.3 degrees Celsius, topping the previous record of 34.9, and Kfar Blum hit 34.2 degrees Celsius, compared with a prior record of 31.8.
Records were also set for unusually high minimum temperatures, mainly along the coast and in the Shfela. At Ein Carmel, a minimum of 25.5 degrees Celsius was measured, above the previous record high minimum of 23.5. In Acre, the highest minimum during the heat wave was 22.5 degrees Celsius, more than 3 degrees above the earlier record.
