First rains, storms roll into Israel, ending record-breaking hot start to November

Stormy conditions began to set in on Thursday, with rain, thunder, and lightning witnessed across Israel, appearing to bring an end to an unusually hot and dry November.

Rains flooded roads in the northern towns of Pardes Hanna and Or Akiva, while hail was seen in Acre and Beersheba. In Hadera, 9.6 mm of rain was recorded at Hadera Port by the Israel Meteorological Society.

In a rare scene, a waterspout was witnessed off the coast of Palmachim Beach, while a tree went up in flames in the town of Binyamina, likely after being struck by lightning.

For Friday, the IMS has warned of a significant risk of flooding along Israel’s coastal plain, while it has issued thunderstorm warnings for northern and central Israel, and the northern Negev.

The IMS has also warned of the risk of flash floods around streams in the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea.

The rainy conditions are expected to ease on Saturday, though isolated showers are expected in parts of the country for the entire weekend.

תופעת טבע ייחודית היום בחוף פלמחים – נד מים, עמוד אוויר שנוצר מעל המים ומחבר בינם לבין הענן שמעליהם. pic.twitter.com/Kxxdffk00n

— זירת החדשות (@ZiratNews) November 13, 2025

בנימינה: בכבאות והצלה התקבל דיווח על שריפה שפרצה לאחר שברק פגע בעצי דקל. pic.twitter.com/nmBN5QoY1H

— זירת החדשות (@ZiratNews) November 13, 2025

On Friday, the temperature is expected to reach a high of 19°C (66°F) in Jerusalem, 21°C (70°F) in Tel Aviv, 22°C (72°F) in Beersheba, and 20°C (68°F) in Haifa.

The break in Israel’s heat came after the coastal plain and the country’s hills experienced record high temperatures for the first 10 days of November since measurements began, according to the IMS.

Average maximal temperatures for the 10 days reached 30°C to 32°C (86°F to 89.6°F) on the coastal plain and in the lowlands, 28°C to 30°C (82.4°F to 86°F) in the mountains, and 32°C to 36°C (86°F to 96.8°F) in the Negev and valleys.

שטפונות בפרדס חנה pic.twitter.com/8hyh91WbXs

— הפרגוד (@moshepargod) November 13, 2025

These values ​​are 4°C to 8°C above the average for early November, and are closer to September averages.

For the coming winter, the IMS is forecasting 80% of the annual average rainfall, although officials point out that it’s hard to be precise with long-term predictions.

After suffering a shortfall of rain last winter, the Water Authority has started channeling desalinated water to the Sea of Galilee, marking the first-ever attempt anywhere in the world to top up a freshwater lake with processed seawater.

Israel is a climate “hotspot,” where temperatures are rising faster than the global average. In 2020, Israel experienced its hottest recorded day ever, though the hottest ever temperature recorded was in 1942, before the state was established, with a temperature of 54°C (129.2°F) recorded at Tirat Zvi in the Beit She’an Valley.

Sue Surkes contributed to this report.