The stormy weather that struck Israel over the past two days is beginning to weaken, and between Saturday night and Sunday, intermittent rain will fall from northern Israel down to the northern Negev.
On Saturday afternoon, a rare waterspout was documented off the coasts of Ashdod and Ashkelon, where up to 50 mm of rain fell within 24 hours. At the Azrikam station in the Be’er Tuvia Regional Council, 54.7 mm were recorded.
A waterspout is a column of air connecting the sea to the clouds, formed due to a sharp difference between water and air temperatures. It resembles a small tornado and usually poses no danger to beachgoers - but it can be hazardous to aircraft and boats.
According to the Israel Meteorological Service, significant rainfall was also recorded in Nativ Halamed-Heh (46.1 mm), Nitzan (41.5 mm), Tel Aviv (34.6 mm), Haifa (25.8 mm), El-Rom (35.5 mm), Jerusalem (22 mm), and Bahan in the Hefer Valley (20.3 mm).
Despite the stormy weather, about 30,000 visitors traveled to nature reserves and national parks across the country. According to the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, the most popular sites were Caesarea, the Hula Nature Reserve, and Masada.
In the town of Azrikam in the Be’er Tuvia Regional Council, a man collapsed in his yard while clearing a flooded drainage channel. Yissachar Weiss, a paramedic from Magen David Adom’s motorcycle unit, was dispatched with additional responders and found the man unconscious. Weiss began intensive CPR, administering 11 electric shocks - after which the man's heart resumed beating.
“I was at home in a nearby community when the call came in. When I arrived, I saw him lying in a puddle, completely soaked, and I immediately began resuscitation,” Weiss said. “With every passing minute the rain just got stronger - but we knew we couldn’t waste a second. After 11 shocks, his heart started beating again. It was a moment of great hope. Seeing him regain consciousness on the way to the hospital is a moment that I’ll never forget.”
On Sunday, it will be partly cloudy with localized rain in central Israel and the northern Negev, tapering off during the afternoon. Temperatures will be slightly below seasonal average. Monday will see a rise in temperatures, Tuesday will be warmer than usual, and Wednesday will bring another slight rise in temperatures.