Record Rainfall Shatters 200-Year Event Threshold in Israel
Translated & summarized from Hamal by baba
An unprecedented storm in Israel on election day set a new record for ten-minute rainfall intensity in the Ramon Crater, an event statistically estimated to occur once every 200 years. The storm triggered widespread flash floods across southern and eastern Israel, with extreme intensity and broad geographical reach contributing to its rarity. The severe weather also included high winds and large hail in northern Israel, causing damage.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Record 10-minute rainfall of 35.6mm in Ramon Crater, a 200-year event.
- Widespread flash floods occurred across southern and eastern Israel.
- Extreme rainfall intensity combined with broad geographical spread made the event rare.
- Northern Israel experienced severe winds up to 104 km/h and large hail.
- The storm system was caused by a combination of Red Sea trough and Balkan low-pressure system.
An exceptional storm that struck Israel on election day resulted in record-breaking rainfall, particularly in the southern and eastern parts of the country. The Israel Meteorological Service reported that a new record for rainfall intensity over a ten-minute period was set in the Ramon Crater, with 35.6 millimeters falling in just ten minutes at Nahal Guvan. This event is statistically estimated to occur only once every 200 years, with a probability of just 0.5%. The previous record for this duration in desert areas was 33.4 millimeters in Jericho on October 17, 1987.
The storm caused widespread flash floods across the Negev, Arava, Dead Sea region, Judean Desert, and Jordan Valley. Nahal Nakrot and Nahal Tzin experienced exceptionally rare flood levels, with the Nakrot basin filling a reservoir on Highway 90 and causing water to overflow. The Meteorological Service highlighted that the event's rarity was due to the combination of extreme rainfall intensity and its extensive geographical spread, affecting numerous wadis over a large area, unlike typical seasonal flash floods.
While cumulative rainfall in some northern areas was not unprecedented, the extreme intensity in the Ramon Crater and the broad distribution of floods made this one of the most unusual events recorded in Israel's desert regions. The storm system was attributed to a combination of a Red Sea trough, a Balkan low-pressure system, and tropical moisture.
The severe weather also brought intense phenomena to northern Israel, including wind gusts up to 104 km/h in Kfar Nahum and large hail, some pieces measuring over two centimeters, which damaged car windshields and apple orchards in the northern Golan Heights. Several eucalyptus trees also fell in Kibbutz Kfar Ruppin due to strong winds.
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