Israel experiencing driest February in 87 years

Israel has experienced its driest February since 1927, Israel’s Water Authority announced Monday.

Light rain was expected Monday night and Tuesday morning, but will do little to alleviate an unusually parched winter.

So far, the Sea of Galilee has risen a mere 2 centimeters (0.7 inches) thanks to the two days of rain this month, as compared to 37 centimeters (14.5 inches) this time last year.

However, the Water Authority told the daily Maariv that despite the minimal rainfall, Israel’s desalination methods would ensure that the water shortage would not be felt.

“We have prepared and set up desalination plants, recycling facilities, alongside sewage purification and proper management of water usage,” Uri Shor, the spokesman for the Water Authority said.

The winter began with heavy rains and snow across the country, but December’s wet weather quickly gave way to the driest January in living memory, according to Israeli Hydrological Service official Amir Givati.

“It is definitely a very rare January,” he said, according to Army Radio. “In Jerusalem there hasn’t been a situation like this since 1860 and in the north it has been over a hundred years.”

In the capital, only 1 millimeter of rain fell during the entire month compared to a January average of 200 millimeters.

The Sea of Galilee rose just 11 centimeters during January, news site Walla reported, compared to about a meter in the same month last year.