Surprise spring rains slake Sea of Galilee

For the first time in recorded history the Sea of Galilee’s water level rose during May, due to Wednesday’s unusual downpour across Israel.

In Haifa, the flash storm — which lasted for only a few hours — flooded the Bat Galim neighborhood, with water reaching a height of one meter. Hail fell in the Golan Heights and, in the center of the country, trees toppled after being struck by lightning.

The heavy rains provided more than 100 percent of the average rainfall for the month in many cities, and climbed over 300% in the Golan Heights and northern cities like Safed and Tiberias.

“This is a real winter,” forecaster Tzachi Waxman told Yedioth Ahronoth. The skies “looked like we’re in February and not May.”

Though much of the week was unseasonably cool and occasionally rainy, temperatures will climb above average over the weekend, according to the Israel Meteorological Service.