May 25, 2006:

    * An active Red Sea trough, with an upper-level low situated in an unusual area south of Israel, caused the development of a local thunderstorm in the southern Judean Mountains. More middle-based thunderstorms developed in and around the southern city of Eilat, over Sinai, the Gulf of Aqaba and southern Jordan. The activity was accompanied by hot temperatures across Israel, reaching 41 C in the northern valleys and 34 in Jerusalem. This was the first tropical-like activity in Israel this spring.

April 2006 Summary:

    * April 2006 was the wettest April ever recorded in the coastal areas of central Israel, where 143 mm fell in Kfar Shmaryahu, 7 times the monthly average, and 127 mm fell in Tel-Aviv, 6 times the monthly average. It was the second wettest April in other areas of central and northern Israel, after April 1971. 157 mm fell in Jerusalem, 5.5 times the monthly average, and 170 mm fell in Kfar Giladi, 3 times the monthly average. Even the desert south recorded amounts 3 times the monthly average (46 mm and 26 mm were measured in Be'er Sheva and Sede-Boker, respectively). This year, April, a spring month which is not usually very wet, was wetter than February and March 2006 put together, and also wetter than January 2006, 3 winter months which are, on average, 4-6 times more wet than April. Only December 2005 was wetter than April 2006, in this very abnormal 2005-2006 season.

April 24-25, 2006:

    * April continues to be wet and stormy. Heavy rains fell across Israel, especially in the north, where 128 mm were measured in Metula and 113 in Tel Dan and Kfar Giladi, more than twice the monthly average and the second higest ever recorded in April, and in central Israel, where 45 mm were measured in Kfar Shmaryahu, the highest ever for April.

April 4, 2006:

    * An F1/F2 tornado struck the western Galilee in north-western Israel, causing widespread damage and injuring at least 70 people. The supercell developed over the Mediterranean Sea and entered Israel a little bit north of Haifa, at which point the tornado was forming and began to cause damage, but there were no reports of a funnel even though this is a very populated area. After moving a few kilometers inland a distinct funnel touched the ground and damaged several villages in the western Galilee (especially Yarca and Judeida). This was perhaps the strongest tornado ever documented in Israel. The supercell was also accompanied by large hail, destroying many crops in the area.

April 1-2, 2006:

    * Extremely heavy rain fell in Jerusalem and other areas in the Judean Mountains on the morning of April 2nd, accompanied by numerous and continuous thunderstorms. Between midnight and 0900, 121 mm fell in Mevasseret and 112 in Jerusalem. Out of the 121 in Mevasseret, 80 fell between midnight and 0400. By noon 140 mm were measured in Mevasseret and 127 in Jerusalem. This is the highest daily rainfall recorded in Jerusalem since January 16, 1930. This is the highest daily rainfall ever recorded in Jerusalem in April or in any other month outside the winter months, it is 4.5 times the entire monthly average precipitation for April, and it is 23% of the entire yearly average. Heavy rains also fell in other areas of Israel; 122 mm were measured in Um-El-Fahem, 114 in Rosh Ha'ain, 100 in Kfar-Saba, 98 in Hod Hasharon, 90 in Ra'anana, 73 in Modiin, 67 in Tel Aviv, and 52 in Nahariya. Devastating floods in Um-El-Fahem and the northern valleys (near the Jezreel Valley) and in Bil'in (south-western Samaria, the Palestinian Territory) took the lives of 2 people. The system responsible for this severe weather outbreak was a deep upper-level low which developed right over Israel, along with a surface Red Sea trough which developed to a low east of Israel.

February 15-16, 2006:

    * Another storm swept through Israel. The majority of the precipitation fell in central Israel and the northern Negev Desert on February 15, and on February 16 in northern Israel. Most of the precipitation over the Judean Mountains was graupel and hail. During the night and early morning of February 16 light to moderate snow fell in the Judean Mountains above 800 meters in very brief showers, and was occasionally accompanied by thunderstorms, but did not accumulate. On February 16 moderate snow fell in scattered showers above 800 meters in northern Israel including Safed, accompanied by thunderstorms and accumulated above 900 meters, especially in the northern Golan Heights where 12 cm accumulated above 1000 meters.

February 8-9, 2006:

    * A very deep storm system developed in the eastern Mediterranean and caused sustained winds reaching strong gale (40-45 knots) and gusts reaching violent storm (60 knots) in Israel. Waves in the Mediterranean Sea near the shore reached 7.5 meters. A strong and widespread sandstorm blew across Israel before the cold front entered. There were heavy rains, hail and thunderstorms in central and northern Israel but the strong winds constantly blowing from a south-westerly direction kept the rain just north of a line extending from Rehovot to Jerusalem. From the early morning of February 9, Snow fell briefly in northern Israel above 900 meters and accumulated above 1000 meters to 10 cm. There was also brief snow above 900 meters and accumulation above 1000 meters in the Palestinian Territory. Light and very brief snow fell in Jerusalem during the early morning.

February 2-3, 2006:

    * A low pressure area located in an unusually southerly position, together with a sharp upper-level trough, brought strong to severe thunderstorms to central and southern Israel. A hailstorm on the evening of February 2nd over Jerusalem dumped hail up to 1.5 cm in diameter, with intense lightning activity. Heavy rain in the Edom mountains of Jordan created a flash flood that caused severe damage to crops in the southern Arava area of Israel and even flooded parts of Eilat in the morning of February 3rd. Flash floods also occured in the central Negev Desert. More thunderstorms developed in the central Shfela and Judean mountains throughout February 3rd, mostly with hail.

January 7-15, 2006:

    * A very prolonged weather system affected Israel for 9 consecutive days. Many areas, mostly along the Mediterranean coast, received more than 100 mm during this time. Some parts of Tel-Aviv had 160 mm, which is 30% of the annual average, out of which 100 fell just on one day, January 11. 80 mm were recorded in Mevasseret, 50 in Metula and 70 mm in Shlomi.

January 4, 2006:

    * Thunderstorms developed in the Judean Mountains, the northern Negev Desert and the Shfela (Judean Lowlands), accompanied by heavy rain and even small hail, due to a Red Sea trough with a westerly axis and southerly flow in low and mid-levels bringing very humid air masses from tropical Africa. This is quite a rare event for winter. In addition, gale force south-easterly winds blew across Israel with storm force wind gusts (100 kph). The winds were caused by the deep Red Sea trough south-west of Israel and a strong high pressure ridge north-east of Israel. There was property damage in some areas.

December 23-25, 2005:

    * An exceptionally strong storm system affected Israel. A deep and cold upper-level trough sat over the eastern Mediterranean and formed a surface Cyprus low on the 23rd, which entered the Middle East and then regenerated and deepened back again over the sea on the 24th. All areas of Israel outside the desert south recorded 80 to 150 mm of rain in these 3 days. 130 mm were measured in Mevasseret and certain parts of Jerusalem, 100 to 119 were measured in Haifa, 91 in the Lower Galilee, and 95 in Kiryat-Shmona. Snow fell on the night of the 24th and on the 25th above 950 meters in the northern Golan and in Mount Meron and accumulated above 1050 meters, measuring up to 25cm. More than a meter of snow accumulated in Mount Hermon at an altitude of 2000 meters. Heavy graupel and rain mixed with snow fell in Jerusalem and the Judean Mountains.

December 16-17, 2005:

    * A very wet system broke the long dry spell and brought heavy rains across northern and central Israel, with 40-80 mm of rain and locally more especially in central Israel. The town of Zichron-Ya'acov south of Haifa on the southern Carmel measured 190 mm in 30 hours, an absolutely incredible amount, more than a quarter of the entire yearly average precipitation.

November 22 - December 15, 2005:

    * 23 consecutive days without a drop of rain anywhere in Israel and temperatures well above the average. A dry spell as long as this during the winter months last occured in November-December 1998, and occured altogether 6 times since 1940.

December 2 - December 4, 2005:

    * Several all-time records for December were broken in Israel, according to the NCEP GFS reanalysis data for 32.5N/35E. The highest 850mb temperature in December, 20.15 C, was recorded on December 3rd 00Z, shattering the previous record from 1956 by 1.5 degrees. The previous record went down to the 8th place as more temperatures above 19 were recorded during the period. The highest 500mb geopotential height in December, 5896 m, was recorded on December 2nd 06Z, breaking the previous record from 1963 by 12 meters, which also went down to the 4th place. The record for highest 700 mb temperature in December, 9.25 C, which was set in 1980, was recorded again on December 2nd and 4th.

December 3, 2005:

    * Jerusalem today had the highest temperature ever recorded in December, 28.3 C, breaking the previous record of 27 C from December 4th, 1879.

November 20-22, 2005:

    * A Cyprus low brought heavy rains and some thunderstorms, which were quite evenly distributed across Israel from the north to the northern Negev Desert. 30 to 80 mm of rain fell, and the highest amounts were across the southern and central Mediterranean coast.

November 15, 2005:

    * An active Red Sea trough caused the formation of local thunderstorms along the central and southern Mediterranean coast of Israel and in the central Shfela (Judean lowlands).

October 31 - November 7, 2005:

    * A cut-off upper-level low over Turkey was spinning for 10 days and sending one trough after the other into the Middle East. There were several days with widespread rain in Israel, the first affecting mainly northern Israel. The peak of activity was on November 6-7, this time affecting mainly central Israel, with heavy rain in many areas and a real feeling of winter. 45 mm fell in Mevasseret in the Judean mountains, almost half the monthly average.

October 28, 2005:

    * Local non-severe thunderstorms developed in Sinai and around the gulf of Aqaba including the southern city of Eilat, from a Red Sea trough and upper-level low.

October 23, 2005:

    * A sandstorm blew across Israel, affecting mainly central Israel, with reduced visibility of less than 1 km and gusty winds up to 50 kph, all due to a deep Red Sea trough with an axis west of Israel.

October 19-20, 2005:

    * A second upper-level trough passed through within a week, again with widespread rain across Israel, even as far south as the northern Negev Desert and southern Judean Desert. 10 to 20 mm fell in most areas, and temperatures were down to 9 degrees below average. This week seemed more like early winter rather than autumn.

October 16, 2005:

    * A cold upper-level trough and surface low pressure over the eastern Mediterranean caused widespread rain in Israel along with cool temperatures, some 6 degrees below average. 3 to 8 mm fell in central and northern Israel. Thunderstorms were reported in northern Israel.

September 18, 2005:

    * Rain showers fell in many areas of central and northern Israel. 0.5-1 mm were recorded in several areas of central Israel, and 2-6 mm in several areas of northern Israel. Heavy rain fell in Haifa, where 26 mm were recorded on Mount Carmel - the highest in September since 1961.

Watches and Warnings:

* 25 May 2006 1630: Severe thunderstorm warning for Eilat, the central and southern Arava, and the southern Negev Desert.

* 25 May 2006 1530: Flash flood watch for Eilat, the Arava, the southern Judean Desert, and the eastern Negev Desert.

* 15 April 2006 2230: Flash flood watch for all areas of Israel, in effect for April 16 0600 local time until 2300 local time.

* 4 April 2006 1715: Tornado warning for the western Galilee.

* 4 April 2006 1600: Severe thunderstorm warning for the northern coastal areas from Haifa northwards, for the western Galilee, and for the Upper Galilee. Large hail, damaging winds and heavy rain.

* 2 April 2006 1300: Flash flood warning for the Jezreel Valley and the northern valleys.

* 2 April 2006 0630: Flash flood warning for the Judean Mountains, the Judean Desert.

* 2 April 2006 0030: Flash flood warning for the Judean Desert, the Jordan River Valley, the Judean Mountains, the Shfela, the northern and central Negev Desert, the northern and central Arava.

* 31 March 2006 2300: Flash flood watch for all areas of Israel, in effect for April 1 0500 local time until 2000 local time.

* 27 March 2006 2230: Flash flood watch for all areas of Israel, in effect for March 28 0300 local time until 2200 local time.

* 12 February 2006 2000: Winter storm watch above 800 meters in northern Israel, in effect for February 15 0500 local time, and above 800 meters in central Israel, in effect for February 15 1400 local time, and above 500 meters in northern and central Israel, in effect for February 15 2000 local time.

* 8 February 2006 1900: Severe thunderstorm warning for northern Israel and all coastal regions.

* 8 February 2006 1530: High wind warning from northern Israel south to the northern Negev Desert.

* 7 February 2006 2100: High wind advisory from northern Israel south to the northern Negev Desert, in effect for February 8 1200 local time until February 9 1400 local time.

* 5 February 2006 1130: Winter storm watch above 850 meters in central Israel and above 700 meters in northern Israel, in effect for February 8 1500 local time.

* 3 February 2006 1130: Flash flood warning for the Judean Desert.

* 3 February 2006 1100: Severe thunderstorm watch for Jerusalem, the Judean Mountains, and the Judean Desert.

* 3 February 2006 0500: Flash flood warning for Eilat, the central and southern Arava, and the eastern Negev Desert.

* 2 February 2006 2130: Flash flood warning for Jerusalem, the Judean Mountains, and the Judean Desert.

* 2 February 2006 2130: Severe thunderstorm warning for Jerusalem, the Judean Mountains, and the Judean Desert. Large hail and dangerous lightning.

* 2 February 2006 2030: Severe thunderstorm warning for the central coastal areas and the Shfela. Large hail and dangerous lightning.

* 20 January 2006 1245: High wind advisory for northern and central Israel.

* 11 January 2006 1810: Flash flood warning for the Mediterranean coast from Ashkelon to Herzelyia, and for the Judean Desert and northern Arava.

* 11 January 2006 1810: Severe thunderstorm warning for the Mediterranean coast from Ashkelon to Herzelyia.

* 10 January 2006 2205: Flash flood warning for Gush-Dan (Tel-Aviv) metropolitan area.

* 10 January 2006 2205: Severe thunderstorm warning for Gush-Dan (Tel-Aviv) metropolitan area.

* 10 January 2006 2145: Flash flood watch for all areas of Israel, in effect until January 11 2200 local time.

* 10 January 2006 2145: Severe thunderstorm watch for northern Israel, central Israel, and the northern Negev Desert, in effect until January 11 1000 local time.

* 24 December 2005 1600: Flash flood watch for the Judean Desert and the northern Arava.

* 22 December 2005 2000: Flash flood watch for all areas from northern Israel to the central Negev Desert, including the Judean Desert and the Jordan River Valley south to the central Arava, in effect December 23 0400 until December 23 2000 local time.

* 22 December 2005 2000: Severe thunderstorm watch for all areas in northern and central Israel, in effect December 23 0200 until December 23 1800 local time.

* 13 November 2005 2130: Severe thunderstorm watch for central and southern Israel, including Jerusalem, the Judean Desert, the Negev Desert, and the Arava, in effect November 14 1400 until November 15 1300 local time.

* 28 October 2005 1300: Severe thunderstorm watch for Eilat, the southern Arava and the extreme south Negev Desert.