Israel Police issued a public alert Sunday ahead of a severe winter storm expected to hit southern Israel over the next 48 hours, warning of heavy rain, flash floods and major disruptions on roads leading to and from Eilat.
The Meteorological Service forecasts that the storm will bring intense rainfall, strong winds, thunderstorms, lightning and hail to the region beginning Tuesday afternoon. The hardest-hit areas will be Eilat, the southern Negev, the Arava and the Dead Sea basin, with a high risk of flash flooding in the wadis (dry riverbeds) that cross the desert.
Rain is expected to begin in Eilat and the southern Negev by midday Tuesday and spread north to other parts of the Negev and the Dead Sea area as the day progresses. After a break overnight, the rain and flooding are forecast to resume Wednesday afternoon.
Police from the Southern District, the Judea and Samaria District and the Traffic Division are deploying reinforced units in anticipation of blocked roads and significant traffic disruptions on major routes, including the highways to and from Eilat. All hiking sites from Be'er Sheva to Eilat will be closed to visitors for the duration of the storm.
