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Meteorologists are alarmed

Israel Faces Historic Drought as Northern Regions Record Zero January Rainfall

This is shaping up to be Israel's worst drought in the last 100 years.

Gila Isaacson
Gila Isaacson
3 min read
North of dead sea: Israel is suffering an enormous water economy crisis . .
Photo by ABIR SULTAN/Flash90

Israel's traditionally rainiest regions have recorded zero precipitation this January, marking what could become the most severe drought in a century.

Dr. Amir Givati, director of the Israel Meteorological Service, delivered a stark assessment to Ynet: "A situation in which no rain fell at all in January in the rainy areas of the country, such as the Golan Heights and the Galilee, has never been recorded before."

The crisis is particularly evident in the north, where multiple Meteorological Service measuring stations have registered between zero and 2 millimeters of rainfall this month. Key locations reporting virtually no precipitation include the Nimrod Fortress on Mount Hermon's slopes, the Banias and Tel Dan nature reserves in the Hula Valley, and monitoring stations in Yehudiya and Mashushim in the Golan Heights, as well as Mount Canaan in the Upper Galilee.

This January drought comes amid a broader water crisis that has gripped Israel for six consecutive years, with the winter of 2025 emerging as potentially the driest in a hundred years. The Sea of Galilee (Kinneret), Israel's largest natural freshwater source, has reached alarmingly low levels, approaching what experts call the "black line" – a critical threshold below which pumping water becomes impossible.

The impact on agriculture has been severe, particularly in the Galilee region, where farmers are being forced to reevaluate their crop choices and farming practices. Many springs and rivers have dried up, dealing a blow to irrigation capabilities and overall agricultural production.

Despite Israel's world-leading water management technologies, including extensive desalination facilities along the Mediterranean coast and one of the world's highest wastewater recycling rates, the prolonged drought is testing the limits of these solutions. The government has already halted water pumping from the Sea of Galilee in an effort to preserve its dwindling reserves.

The current crisis has sparked renewed debate about Israel's water management strategy. While the country has heavily invested in desalination plants that now provide a significant portion of its drinking water, some experts argue that natural water conservation has been overlooked in favor of technological solutions.

Climate projections paint a concerning picture for the future, with forecasts suggesting a further 10% reduction in rainfall by the century's end. This prediction, coupled with the current historic drought, has raised urgent questions about long-term water security in the region.

The drought's ecological implications extend beyond immediate water shortages. Increased salinity in water bodies has led to concerns about algae blooms and their impact on local ecosystems.

Ynet and Times of Israel contributed to this article.


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