Fears of flash flooding prompt closure of Eilat airport
Police warn drivers away from Dead Sea, Arava area as small part of major Israeli highway that stretches from north to south shut to traffic
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Israeli police on Saturday warned against expected weather conditions that could lead to flash floods in some parts of the country.
Flights to and from the airport in Israel’s southernmost city of Eilat were suspended as were bus services heading out of the city.
Police instructed drivers and travelers to avoid roads near the Jordan Valley, the Judean Desert in the West Bank, the Dead Sea, and the general Arava area.
Police said part of Highway 90, the longest road in Israel which stretched from north to south, was shut to traffic from Tzukim, a community in the Arava desert, south to Paran, because of minor flooding. There were no reported injuries.
Highway 40 in the direction of Mitzpe Ramon was also closed due to flooding.
The weather in central Israel on Saturday was generally warm, but there were some rains in the south and reported hail in Eilat.
This year has seen a number of instances of severe flooding, one of which turned deadly.
This summer, a rare June downpour saw power outages and severe flooding throughout the country.
In April, 10 high school seniors were killed in a flash flood during a hike along the to the Tzafit riverbed, near the Dead Sea. According to reports, the principal of the Bnei Zion Military Academy did not heed the advice of meteorologists or an Air Force weather forecaster who warned against taking a trip to a flash-flood prone area.
The Times of Israel Community.