Summer heat assails Galilee water level

The Sea of Galilee, Israel’s largest source of freshwater, dropped by almost 60 centimeters over July and August, while the Dead Sea lost some 40 centimeters, according to a report by the Israel Water Authority released on Monday.

While the irregularly rainy winter provided the northern lake with much-needed water, and the Israel Water Authority said the lake was the fullest it has been in the past four years, the summer took its toll.

During the month of July the Sea of Galilee lost 28 centimeters of water, and it dropped 30 more during August. Experts had warned that winter rains, while important and useful, were not enough to make a long-term change.

The Dead Sea also shrank over the summer months. In August alone it lost 18 centimeters, and since October 2011 it dropped by 1.41 meters.

The report revealed that the past year’s Dead Sea drop was the sharpest in recent years. In comparison, between October 2010 and October 2011 it lost only 1.15 meters of water.