Israel's Meteorological Service has released a comprehensive summary of the unusual rainfall event that struck the country in recent days, confirming it as extraordinary both in the quantities measured and the inland regions affected.
According to the data, August 15 saw exceptional precipitation in the Judean Hills. The St. Anne station in Jerusalem's Old City recorded 30 millimeters of rain, while Ma'ale Adumim registered 26 millimeters, Karmei Tzur 20 millimeters, and Rosh Tzurim 18 millimeters. Meteorological officials note that since measurements began in the mid-19th century, no comparable rainfall amounts have been recorded in the Judean Hills during July or August. The previous record stood at a mere 2 millimeters in 1890. Radar analysis from the Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus areas suggests actual amounts may have been even higher, with hourly intensities corresponding to a once-in-20-years event.
The following day, August 16, precipitation concentrated in the Jordan Valley, where double-digit amounts unprecedented for summer months were recorded: the settlement of Ro'i measured 28 millimeters, Gitit 12 millimeters, and Beka'ot 10 millimeters.
The Meteorological Service explains that while summer rainfall is not entirely unheard of, it typically consists of light showers near the coast and western Galilee. Double-digit precipitation reaching inland areas is considered highly unusual.
However, the past two decades have seen increased frequency of such events—both during peak summer months (July and August) and shoulder months (June and September). Meteorologists estimate this trend can be linked to global warming, which intensifies particularly during El Niño years.
The unusual weather was not confined to Israel but affected neighboring countries as well. In Jordan, the Jordan Valley event spilled over the border, causing localized flash flooding. In Syria, approximately 130 millimeters of rain fell in the coastal city of Latakia on the night of August 14-15.
Simultaneously, significant rainfall was recorded at low latitudes in Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt (at Marsa Matruh), and Kuwait. The Meteorological Service concludes that the fact these rains occurred in such close temporal proximity across multiple regions that should be under descending air masses preventing precipitation constitutes a highly unusual phenomenon in itself.
