August 8, 2005:

    * Light rain fell during the morning in many places especially in central Israel, including the Judean Mountains where up to 0.3 mm were measured. Rehovot measured up to 1.5 mm. While sprinkles occur once or twice almost every summer along the coast, summer light rain over the mountains is quite unusual. The monthly average precipitation for July and August everywhere in Israel is 0. The maximum temperature in Jerusalem that day was 24.9 C, 5 C below the August average.

August 4, 2005:

    * Local thunderstorms developed in Lebanon, Syria and northern Jordan on the border with Israel, due to a rather deep upper-level trough and a cold pool at 700mb. The storms were seen from many areas of Israel. This is a very rare event in the summer that occurs perhaps once a decade.

June 13, 2005:

    * Middle-based thunderstorms developed in many areas of Israel, such as the coastal areas and central mountains, once again as a result of a weak trough over Egypt and mid-level humidity originating from north-western Sudan being pulled to the Middle East by an upper-level trough over Egypt. This is a rare event for mid-June.

June 1, 2005:

    * Local middle-based thunderstorms developed in the central and southern Negev Desert, as a result of a weak trough over Egypt and mid-level humidity originating from north-western Sudan.

May 4, 2005:

    * A deep and cold polar upper-level low developed over Syria, which is very rare so late in the season, along with a deep surface depression. 10 to 25 mm of rain fell mainly in northern Israel, accompanied by thunderstorms. This is almost double the entire monthly average precipitation for May. Up to storm force wind gusts were measured in many areas. Winds of 55 knots were recorded in Jerusalem. Light snow fell in the Hermon mountain above 2000 meters, and this is the first record of May snowfall in the Israeli part of the mountain.

February 2005:

    * February ended with above average rainfall, and average temperatures. But it was a very irregular winter month, with the first 12 days being colder than average and very wet with precipitation almost every day, and from February 13 until March 4, there were 19 consecutive days without rain, apart from local light rain which was measurable only in a few areas, on February 20. So because of the first 12 days every station in central and northern Israel recorded or passed its average monthly rainfall, but the feeling is that winter ended abruptly and early, exactly like it was last year.

February 11-12, 2005:

    * The same static polar trough deepened again and caused the formation of a low pressure area right over Israel. Not much precipitation fell this time, but whatever did on February 12 was in the form of snow in northern Israel which accumulated up to 10 cm above 900 meters, with brief accumulation between 700 and 900 meters. Snow fell for a short time as low as 500 meters. In Jerusalem and central Israel there was brief and light snow on the morning of the 11th and again in the afternoon of the 12th. The low pressure center was exactly above central Israel, which prevented significant cooling of that area.

February 3-8, 2005:

    * A static 500mb polar trough and surface low pressure area were situated over the Middle East and brought heavy rains, thunderstorms, and even snow to Israel. Such a number of consecutive stormy days is not very common in the region. Many areas in northern and central Israel have passed the entire monthly average precipitation in these 6 days. As much as 170 to 200 milimeters fell in areas such as the Upper Galilee and the Judean Mountains. 100 to 140 milimeters fell in coastal areas such as Rehovot and Haifa. On February 8th snow showers fell in all areas above 800 meters in northern and central Israel including Jerusalem and Safed. The snow line briefly fell to 650 meters during the morning. The snow in Jerusalem did not accumulate much, but in the northern Golan it accumulated up to 20 cm. More than a meter fell in Mount Hermon.

January 22, 2005:

    * Rain/snow mix fell in Jerusalem with strong thunderstorms. Hail fell in many other areas, and even accumulated in places such as Haifa and Ashkelon.

January 18-19, 2005:

    * An intense weather system brought very strong thunderstorms with very high amounts of rain especially to coastal areas of Israel, between Ashdod in the south to Nahariya in the north. 80 to 140 mm of rain fell along the coast within these two days.

January 2-6, 2005:

    * Two consecutive Cyprus lows affected Israel during the first week of January, bringing widespread rain to all parts of Israel. Some stations in the Judean Mountains received more than 100 mm of rain, and the large streams of the Negev Desert were flooded.

December 24-25, 2004:

    * A Cyprus low brought the first really heavy rain to the central and southern coast of Israel, where a total of 60 to 90 millimeters of rain were measured in 36 hours, and the rain was accompanied by intense thunderstorms. 30 to 50 mm fell in the Judean Mountains. The totals elsewhere were 20 to 40 mm.

November 21-23, 2004:

    * Hardly two days passed since the previous Cyprus low, when another one quickly developed. It was accompanied by a rare and extremely deep and cold 500mb trough, that reached a height and temperature of 5500 and -25 in central Israel and 5420 and -29 in the north, which is extremely rare for November. 850mb temperature was some 10 degrees below average, between -0.5 in the center and -1.5 in the north, and that was enough for light snow in the mountains of the Golan and Galilee above 1000 meters. Heavier snow, the first of the season, fell in Mount Hermon. Graupel fell in Jerusalem and the temperature went down to 3. This was the strongest upper-level trough in November since 1982. Most areas totaled 50 to 70 mm of rain, and Jerusalem and some areas in the Judean mountains had 80 to 110 mm, which is almost twice the average precipitation for November.

November 17-20, 2004:

    * The first Cyprus low (a winter low pressure system) of the season brought widespread rain and thunderstorms. Many areas received about half or more of the monthly average precipitation from this system. On November 18 a landspout was spotted over Petach-Tikva, east of Tel-Aviv. On November 19-20 the system was over but the cold 500mb trough remained, allowing for more local rain especially over the Judean mountains.

November 8-9, 2004:

    * A cold 500mb trough affected the Middle East again. On the 8th, two thunderstorms developed in the afternoon over eastern Israel into Jordan, and they were seen from almost all areas of Israel. The storm tops were unusually high for the region and estimated at over 40,000 feet. On the 9th numerous thunderstorms developed throughout the day in the Mediterranean sea and entered western Israel. At least one was severe, with a long-lived waterspout that entered the coast near Achziv in northern Israel.

October 29, 2004:

    * Severe thunderstorms developed in the morning of October 29 over the Judean Mountains and the Negeve Desert. In Jerusalem, a severe storm dumped very large hail 3 to 6 cm in diameter for 30 minutes and caused damage and flooded many areas. This was the largest hail in Jerusalem in the last 8 years. Another severe storm around noon dumped heavy rain in eastern and southern Jerusalem, and many streams in the Judean Desert and Negev Desert were flooded and roads leading south were swept away. Some areas recorded 30 to 40 mm of rain in 45 minutes. 2 people drowned in a flash flood. A merging of the Red Sea trough and a cold upper-level trough were the cause for the severe events.

October 26-28, 2004:

    * A Red Sea trough affected the Middle East, and thunderstorms developed on October 26 over many areas in the central and eastern belts of Israel during the night. They were middle-based and produced light rain. The trough persisted and thunderstorms again developed over many areas of Israel in the evening of October 28, with stronger rain.

October 13, 2004:

    * A Red Sea Trough caused thunderstorms in the Hula Valley, the southern Golan Heights, and the central Jordan River Valley, some of which were accompanied by hail and heavy rain. Severe thunderstorms developed in Lebanon and Syria.

Watches and Warnings:

* 4 May 2005 1200: High wind warning for all areas of Israel. Storm force winds.

* 21 April 2005 1410: Flash flood warning for the southern Negev Desert and south-central Arava.

* 21 April 2005 1130: Severe thunderstorm warning for the southern Mediterranean coast and the north-western Negev Desert.

* 21 April 2005 0700: Flash flood watch for southern and central Israel, in affect for 1600-2200.

* 21 April 2005 0700: Severe thunderstorm watch for southern and central Israel, in affect for 1300-2200.

* 11 February 2005 0600: Winter storm warning for all areas of Israel higher than 600 meters.

* 10 February 2005 0700: Winter storm watch for all areas of Israel higher than 600 meters, in affect for February 10 2100.

* 3 February 2005 1030: High wind advisory for all areas of Israel, in affect from February 3 1900 until February 4 1500.

* 23 January 2005 1730: High wind advisory for all areas of Israel.

* 22 January 2005 0900: Severe thunderstorm warning for the entire Mediterranean coast of Israel.

* 17 January 2005 2300: Severe thunderstorm warning for the Mediterranean coast between Tel-Aviv and Nahariya.

* 24 December 2004 1530: Flash flood warning for Tel Aviv metropolitan area and Haifa metropolitan area.

* 23 December 2004 1900: Severe thunderstorm watch for northern and central Israel and for the northern Negev Desert, in affect from December 24, 0600 until December 25, 1700.

* 23 December 2004 1900: Flash flood watch for the Judean Desert, central and northern Arava, central and northern Negev Desert, Jordan River Valley, in affect until December 25 2000.

* 17 November 2004 2000: Flash flood watch for the Judean Desert, central and northern Arava, Northern Negev Desert, in affect until November 18, 1500.

* 09 November 2004 1545: Severe thunderstorm warning for the northern Mediterranean coast from Akre to Rosh-Hanikra.

* 08 November 2004 1430: Flash flood warning for the central and northern Jordan River Valley, Samarian Mountains.

* 08 November 2004 1430: Severe thunderstorm warning for the central and northern Jordan River Valley, Samarian Mountains.

* 29 October 2004 1200: Severe thunderstorm warning for the Judean Desert, Judean Mountains, Dead Sea, southern Jordan River Valley, in affect until 1400.

* 29 October 2004 0700: Severe thunderstorm warning for the Judean Desert, Judean Mountains, Dead Sea, southern Jordan River Valley, northern Arava, north-eastern Negev Desert, in affect until 1000.

* 29 October 2004 0700: Flash flood warning for the Judean Desert, Judean Mountains, Dead Sea, Jordan River Valley, Arava, Negev Desert, in affect until 1900.

* 28 October 2004 1800: Flash flood warning for the Judean Desert, Judean Mountains, Dead Sea, Jordan River Valley, Arava, in affect until 2300.

* 26 October 2004 2200: Flash flood warning for the Judean Desert, Judean Mountains, Dead Sea, Jordan River Valley.

* 13 October 2004 1300: Severe thunderstorm warning for the Jordan River Valley.

* 13 October 2004 1300: Flash flood warning for the Jordan River Valley.

* 13 October 2004 1230: Flash flood watch for the Jordan River Valley, Golan Heights, Upper Galilee, Judean Mountains, Judean Desert, Dead Sea in affect until 1700.