Rare Summer Rainstorm Expected in Israel This Weekend, Raising Flood Risks

Israel is set to experience an unusual and rare weather event this weekend, with significant rainfall forecasted during the first half of August. While light drizzles occasionally occur along the coastal plain every few years, substantial rain inland is a rare phenomenon, happening only once every five to ten years, with the last occurrence in 2022. Rainfall in southern areas such as Jerusalem and the Dead Sea is considered extremely rare or unprecedented for this season.

In response to the forecast, the Arava Rescue Unit is preparing for scenarios involving heavy rain and flash floods in the Beqaa Valley streams, Judean Desert, southern Dead Sea, and northern Arava. The unit emphasized the life-threatening dangers of flash floods, urging hikers and drivers to exercise caution and avoid entering flowing streams, even if water covers roads. They advised waiting for water levels to drop before crossing and recommended observing floods only from safe, elevated locations.

The warnings come ahead of expected significant precipitation mainly on Saturday afternoon and evening. This sharp weather change follows days of intense heat, as cooler, moist air from the mid-level atmosphere arrives from the Greece region. The phenomenon may be influenced by the super El Niño climate pattern, which shifts weather systems across the Northern Hemisphere.

According to forecasts, rain will begin Friday morning with light showers in the north and coastal plain, spreading by midday to central highlands. The peak of the storm is expected Saturday afternoon, focusing rainfall in eastern Israel from the Golan Heights and Beqaa Valley to the Judean Desert, Dead Sea, and northern Arava, where flood risks are highest.