This is the third winter storm in Israel since the beginning of 2018. Yes, this week in Israel wasn’t comparable to most of the weather usually seen in the Middle East, with thunderstorms, flooded streets (Tel Aviv and Biney Brak) and rivers, freezing temperatures and snow in the Golan Heights, Safed, and Galilee. At least 30 people in overall had to be rescued by emergency services after they found themselves marooned in rapidly rising streams, where jeeps were submerged and people stuck on islands surrounded by the floods. The level of the Sea of Galilee has risen over five centimeters since the storm began Thursday.
It’s winter wonderland in parts of Israel right now. It is snowing since the evening of January 25th. Mount Hermon had a snow cover of about 40 cm as of Friday morning. Other places in Golan heights, where snow was recorded, include the cities of Majdal Shams and Safed, kibbutz Ortal, Merom Golan, Nimrod fortress and mount Bental. Snow has also been falling in the mountains of Upper Galilee, and may fall onto Jerusalem as well as in Judea and Samaria. Here a few pictures:
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall hit Israel from north to south Friday, flooding streams and catching both unaware drivers and hikers. 14 people were rescued Friday night from the lower Galilee’s Chilazon Stream, including several people rescued from jeeps marooned mid-stream and eight others stuck on an island in the middle of the brook. Three showed signs of hypothermia and had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital. At least 20 more people were rescued in western Galilee after their vehicles were carried away by streams. In the northern city of Tamra, for instance, a concrete wall collapsed on top of three vehicles, but miraculously no one was harmed. In Tel Aviv, meanwhile, a tree fell over on two vehicles, also damaging an electric polen and streets were completely flooded.
Cars swimming in water in Tel Aviv on January 25, 2018:
The Water Authority also said the level the Sea of Galilee, which is often used as a barometer for the size of Israel’s natural water supply, had risen over five centimeters since the storm began Thursday. The weather is going crazy all over the world
They did ask for it: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-42507968
and so did Assad in Syria: https://www.timesofisrael.com/syrians-pray-for-rain-at-assads-request/