Israel August Rainstorms: Rare Weather Event After Heat Wave

Tel Aviv fishing (Video: Yehuda Glickman)

Thursday's weather across Israel remains clear and unseasonably hot in the mountains and inland areas, with high humidity along the coastal plain creating oppressive conditions.

Temperatures are climbing throughout the country:

Eilat is recording a scorching 41 degrees Celsius (106°F)

Tiberias 38°C (100°F)

Kiryat Shmona and Be'er Sheva 36°C (97°F)

Modi'in and Jerusalem 34°C (93°F)

Tel Aviv 32°C (90°F) though the coastal city feels significantly hotter due to humidity.

However, according to a dramatic forecast from Meteo-Tech meteorologist Liad Aviv, this meteorological calm is about to shatter. Friday will see only a slight temperature drop, providing merely temporary relief before the storm hits.

Starting Saturday afternoon, winds will strengthen significantly in the mountainous regions, with local rainfall beginning in the north. But the main event will erupt on Saturday night: a brief but intense rain system, highly unusual for August, will strike the north, center, and coastal plain. The surprising rainfall is expected to be particularly heavy, accompanied by dramatic thunderstorms, raising genuine concerns about sudden flooding in urban centers. According to the updated forecast, local rains will fall across northern Israel, the center, the coastal plain, the lowlands, and inland areas.

By Sunday morning, rainfall amounts could reach double digits in millimeters in certain areas, an extremely rare phenomenon for August. This marks the second consecutive rain event this August, with the Israel Meteorological Service emphasizing that even a single rain event during this month is already considered unusual.

This August has been characterized by an exceptional combination of above-average temperatures alongside unusual rain events. Mid-month, heavy rains hit the north, Jerusalem, and surrounding areas, with the Ma'ale Adumim station recording a peak of 21 millimeters per hour, followed by 25 millimeters, quantities highly unusual for summer.

The Meteorological Service warns of potential flash floods in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea area due to the expected rainfall.

Sunday is forecast to be partly cloudy to clear, with a slight temperature drop, and possible local rain mainly in the north and east from afternoon hours onward.