Woman dies of hypothermia in Eilat as winter storm blasts country with winds, rain

95-year-old man from Bnei Brak hospitalized due to cold; winds reaching over 100 kph bring down powerline poles and trees; first snow falls on northern high ground

By Stuart Winer 6 February 2025, 9:43 am Edit

Stuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.

People walking in the rain on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem, on February 5, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
People walking in the rain on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem, on February 5, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

A winter storm carrying strong winds, rain, and plunging temperatures swept across the country overnight Wednesday.

In the southern resort city of Eilat, a woman died of hypothermia at home. The Magen David Adom emergency service said medics tried to resuscitate her but were forced to declare her dead at the scene.

Another incident of hypothermia occurred in the central region city of Bnei Brak, where a 95-year-old man was discovered in serious condition in an apartment and was rushed to a hospital.

A driver suffered moderate injuries when a tree fell on his car on Route 22 in the Western Galilee region.

There were flash flood warnings for wadis in the Dead Sea area and Judean desert.

Flood water blocked a section of Route 90 near the hotel resort region of the Dead Sea on Thursday morning.

In Jerusalem, a few electric poles crashed down onto the Begin expressway traversing the capital on Wednesday.

In the north, snow began falling Thursday in higher areas, including the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon, leaving a thin coating on the ground. The conditions did not lead to school closures.

Jerusalem was the wettest spot in the country, with 51 millimeters of rain falling from Wednesday until Thursday at 6 a.m.

The cold snap came after a week of sunshine and relatively warm weather.

Rainy conditions and high winds began on Wednesday afternoon and increased into the night. Heavy rainfall was accompanied by strong gusts that reached over 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph).

Temperatures around the country were to remain cool, with Jerusalem at 8°C, (46.4°F) Tel Aviv at 16°C (60.9°F), Haifa at 13°C (55.4°F), and Beersheba also at 13°C.

The rain was expected to ease off in the afternoon, and Friday was predicted to be cloudy with occasional showers. Temperatures will rise slightly over the weekend, but next week will bring more rain and cold, weather forecasts said.

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