Unseasonal August Rain Causes Flooding in Jordan Valley and Jerusalem Area

Extreme summer weather continues in Israel as heavy rain fell on Sunday in the Jordan Valley, with 11 millimeters recorded in the settlement of Bekaot. Additional significant rainfall is expected in the afternoon around Jerusalem, the Judean Desert, and the Dead Sea, prompting flood warnings from the meteorological service. Light rain or drizzle may persist overnight in northern Israel and the coastal plain until midday Monday.

These rains follow an unprecedented rainfall event the previous day near Jerusalem and northern Judean Desert, where Maale Adumim station recorded 25 millimeters, including a record 21 millimeters in one hour that caused flooding in southern and eastern parts of the city. For the first time this season, a flash flood was documented in Nahal Og. Dr. Amir Givati, head of the meteorological service, described the event as historic, noting that the previous August rainfall record in Jerusalem was only one millimeter.

Dr. Givati attributed the unusual weather to the "Super El Niño" phenomenon and warned that the upcoming autumn is also expected to be wetter than usual, with potential for unprecedented flooding. The forecast for the coming days includes a slight temperature drop on Monday in the mountains and inland areas, remaining below average. Tuesday will see further cooling, but temperatures will rise again on Wednesday and significantly increase on Thursday, intensifying the heat wave.