Rare August Rainfall Expected Across Northern and Central Israel Next Week

Following several days of typical summer heat with high temperatures across much of Israel, the Meteorological Service announced on Tuesday that rain is expected to return next week, affecting large areas in the north and center of the country. This unusual weather event, resembling autumn conditions in August, is forecast to begin overnight Saturday into Sunday and continue throughout Sunday, bringing localized showers to the north, center, coastal plain, Shephelah, and inland regions. Some areas may experience heavy rainfall with double-digit millimeter accumulations, particularly by Sunday morning.

Such rainfall events in August are extremely rare, with two occurrences in one month considered unprecedented. If the forecast holds, some locations could break seasonal rainfall records. This August has already seen abnormal weather, including higher-than-average temperatures and unusual rain events. Earlier in the month, heavy rains struck northern Israel and parts of Jerusalem and nearby communities, breaking the all-time hourly rainfall record at the Maale Adumim station with 21 millimeters in one hour. Total rainfall in the Jerusalem hills and Maale Adumim reached 25 millimeters, an exceptional amount for summer, causing flooding in southern and eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods.

Long-range forecasts from the Meteorological Service indicate that these August rains may be a precursor to the true autumn season expected to begin in late September and October, when more significant rainfall events are anticipated. Current temperature forecasts for Tuesday night and Wednesday include highs ranging from 30 to 42 degrees Celsius in southern areas like Eilat and Be’er Sheva, and cooler temperatures around 20 to 32 degrees Celsius in northern and central cities such as Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem.