Israel was drenched by heavy rain late Tuesday and early Wednesday, with nearly 100 millimeters (nearly four inches) measured in northern Israel.
With around 500 millimeters (29 inches) of rain falling on average every year, according to the Israel Water Authority, the overnight rainfall would account for approximately 20 percent of the annual average.
Some roads in the northern coastal city of Haifa were closed as a result of the rain but have since been reopened.
Snow was reported Wednesday morning on Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights.
The Israel Water Authority said the Sea of Galilee rose three centimeters (one inch) from the most recent rainfall and has risen 12 centimeters (four and a half inches) since the start of December. However, it needs nearly five meters (16 feet) to be full and remains over 71 centimeters (two feet) below its healthy minimum level.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
Shuli Chen of the National Water Authority stands in the Sea of Galilee to take a measurement of the water level, March 2007. (photo credit: Nati Shohat/Flash90/File)
The Sea of Galilee’s rise was helped by streams in Israel’s north that feed into it, which were flowing with water after the downpour.
More rain is expected Wednesday, in particular in the north and mountainous areas, but will likely cease by Wednesday evening, although temperatures will remain low.
The rainfall is expected to resume over the weekend.
Advertisement
It's not (only) about you.
Supporting The Times of Israel isn’t a transaction for an online service, like subscribing to Netflix. The ToI Community is for people like you who care about a common good: ensuring that balanced, responsible coverage of Israel continues to be available to millions across the world, for free.
Sure, we'll remove all ads from your page and you'll unlock access to some excellent Community-only content. But your support gives you something more profound than that: the pride of joining something that really matters.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting valuable, during an ongoing war when facts are often distorted and news coverage of Israel often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically since October 7.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel