A Red Sea Trough was affecting the Middle-East. Thunderstorms developed that day in the Hula Valley, the southern Golan Heights, and the central Jordan River Valley. Severe thunderstorms developed in Lebanon and Syria.

12:54
Cumulus clouds starting to develop east of Jerusalem. Looking E from Mevasseret. This is the same cloud, 16 minutes apart.

15:07

15:30
This was the most promising cloud that developed in Jerusalem, and it almost became a full Cb, but for some reason never made it.

A Red Sea Trough was again bringing active weather to Israel. On the night of the 26th-27th, Middle-based thunderstorms developed in eastern Israel and along the mountains running from northern Israel south through Jerusalem to the Negev, producing mainly lightning with little rain.

October 27, 2004

00:49
Lightning over the Upper Galilee. Looking SW from Safed. Photograph courtesy of Eyal H.

October 28, 2004

A cold upper-level trough moved closer to Israel, and the Red Sea Trough extended into the Mediterranean sea causing low-level humidity to enter Israel. With a CAPE of over 3000 and LI of -9, this time stronger thunderstorms developed in many areas.

19:15
Lightning over the Mediterranean Sea. Looking west from Nachsholim, south of Haifa. Photographs courtesy of Zohar Shachar.

October 29, 2004

The axis of the upper-level trough was right over Israel, and humidity was abundant in the low and middle levels. CAPE was 3600 and LI -10. In the morning a cluster of severe thunderstorms with possible supercells developed over the Judean Mountains, and dumped hail 3 to 6 cm in diameter for 30 minutes, and a total of 30 to 40 mm of precipitation in less than an hour. This was the largest recorded hail in Jerusalem in the past 8 years at least. The hail caused some property damage, and flash floods occured in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea, killing 2 people. Storms and flash floods occured during the morning in the Negev Desert as well, with 35 to 40 mm of rain, 25% of the annual average precipitation. Roads and bridges in the Dead Sea and Arava were swept away and many people were stranded and rescued. After noon, thunderstorms developed again in the southern Judean Mountains and Judean Desert, adding to the floods. The storms can be seen beautifully in this Aqua-MODIS satellite image from 13:00.

08:36
Large hail falling in Mevasseret.

09:11
Floods in Mevasseret.

07:40 - 16:10
Many streams in the Judean Desert which are usually dry were flooded, and roads leading south were washed away. Photographs courtesy of Sakra.

11:00
The usually dry Be'er-Sheva stream, in the northern Negev Desert, was flooded. Photograph courtesy of Orna from Be'er Sheva.

Another upper-level trough moved through Israel, and although there was no distinct surface system it was enough for local thunderstorm development in different areas.

November 8, 2004

15:52
Two thunderstorms developed side by side over the mountains of central Israel. This is one of them, a towering cumulus developing into an impressive cumulonimbus with a cumuliform anvil estimated at over 40,000 feet. Looking ENE from Mevasseret.

16:08
A close-up look at the beautiful cumuliform anvil and mammatus hanging underneath.

16:38
One last view in the sunset.

November 9, 2004

14:30
An impressive cumulonimbus developed after noon near the coast of northern Israel. Looking NW near Nahariya.

15:40
The cloud continued developing and an hour later took this magnificent formation of a severe thunderstorm. Photographs courtesy of Snowboy. Looking N from Acre.

15:45
The same storm, looking N from Haifa. Photographs courtesy of Rafi from Nesher.

15:20
It was during this time the severe thunderstorm dropped a beautiful waterspout, while entering the northern coast of Israel. Photographs courtesy of Alon Friedman. Looking W from Shlomi.

15:25
Aya and Avigail from Nahariya went out and chased the waterspout, and caught it making landfall and dissipating a short time afterwards. Looking N from Achziv coast.

16:15
Another cumulonimbus over the sea. Photograph courtesy of Raanan Arbel. Looking W from Cabri.

02:00
A Red Sea trough along with a deep jet stream caused the development of this thunderstorm in central Israel. Looking N over the Samarian mountains. Photograph courtesy of Tal Shamai.