Snowfall in northern Israel and parts of West Bank as winter storm thunders on
Schools shut in some northern towns; sea foam churned up by strong winds blankets Tel Aviv port in white
Parts of northern and central Israel received a dusting of snow on Tuesday as a powerful winter storm dubbed Barbara continued to lash the country.
Villages and towns in the central West Bank received a light covering of snow, while schools in some villages in the northern Golan Heights were shut due to the heavier precipitation.
The Mount Hermon ski resort in the Golan Heights will stay closed at least until Thursday due to the adverse weather conditions.
The storm arrived on Monday, bringing high winds, heavy rain and near-freezing temperatures to much of the country.
Heavy winds continued to lash the coast on Tuesday, turning the sea dangerously turbulent.
A large amount of foam formed by the accumulation of organic pollutants as a result of the strong waves flooded into the Tel Aviv port area, reaching the entrances of shops and restaurants, Channel 12 news reported.
While the phenomenon is relatively rare in Israel, it has happened in the past.
Meanwhile, the water level in the Sea of Galilee has risen by 4 centimeters (1.5 inches) over the last day, officials said.
Inland, authorities warned of flash floods as rains inundate the dry northern Negev and the Judean Desert.
נמל ת"א עכשיו. מהמם!
צילום גל יערי pic.twitter.com/ziRTPNIKvJ— שרון וכסלר (@WexlerSharon) February 7, 2023
On Monday, the Magen David Adom emergency service said an 11-year-old boy was seriously injured by a falling tree branch in the central town of Tel Mond and a 13-year-old girl was lightly injured under similar circumstances in the Tel Aviv suburb of Or Yehuda.
A 75-year-old woman and a man in his 40s were lightly injured in the coastal city of Netanya, and an 81-year-old woman was lightly hurt in Tel Aviv, as a result of strong winds.
In the Western Galilee’s Kibbutz Adamit, four people were lightly injured in a car accident between two vehicles after a tree branch fell on top of one of them.
The rain is expected to begin to let up on Wednesday, the Israel Meteorological Service said, but even colder temperatures are expected early next week.
Barbara came to Israel after dumping snow on Athens and other parts of Greece, hampering activity. At sea, high winds forced ships and ferries to alter sailing plans.