Storm Byron continued to strike large parts of the country on Thursday, with the heaviest impact felt across Greater Tel Aviv, the southern coastal plain, and the Carmel region.
Beginning in the afternoon, intense rainfall accompanied by powerful winds led to rapid flooding in multiple areas. Severe flooding was reported throughout Greater Tel Aviv, most notably in Rishon LeZion, Rehovot, and Tel Aviv. MDA teams responded to numerous calls regarding vehicles trapped in rising waters. In Rishon LeZion, 40 mm of rain fell within two hours, while Ashdod recorded 13 mm in just ten minutes.
Significant rainfall was also documented in the north and along the Carmel Coast. Since the start of the storm, 205 mm of rain has been measured in the Nahal Me’arot Reserve-94 mm of that within the past day. Atlit recorded 193 mm, and Haifa surpassed 130 mm.
In Yavne, where 37.4 mm fell between noon and 2 pm, streets were flooded - and people trapped in stuck vehicles were rescued. The heavy rain led to severe flooding and the rescue of 14 people from 8 different scenes, all of whom are in good condition and do not require treatment.
A branch of the Rami Levy supermarket in the city filled with water. Mayor Roei Gabay said it was a "state of emergency," called for people not to leave their homes - and then said the city had returned to normal: "All the roads in the city have been opened. There were unusual amounts of precipitation. We had an hour of rain in an amount never seen in Yavne - we closed 5 streets, but the water flowed slowly."
According to the Israel Meteorological Service, the rainfall is expected to extend further inland, raising concern for flash floods in the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea region. The Sa’ar waterfall has already begun flowing forcefully, and snowfall was observed on Mount Hermon.
Dr. Amit Givati, director of the Meteorological Service, cautioned: “The coming hours mark the peak of the system in the central region. This is a prolonged and powerful rain event-though not unprecedented. However, the danger of flooding is clear.”
Local showers are forecast to continue tomorrow from northern Israel down to the Negev, with possible thunderstorms and flooding in the coastal plain and lowlands, as well as renewed flood risks in the southern streams. Rainfall is expected to weaken later in the day.
Saturday: Weather conditions will stabilize, with light rain possible in the north and center. Temperatures will rise.
Sunday: No significant change is expected.
Rainfall totals over the past 48 hours include:
Ein Carmel (near Atlit): 143 mm - the highest recorded so far, Haifa: 116 mm, Zichron Yaakov: 94 mm, Nahariya: 49 mm, Karmiel: 42 mm, Kfar Giladi (Galilee): 33 mm, Tiberias: 14 mm.
Central Israel also saw impressive totals: Rishon LeZion: 77 mm (last 24 hours), Tel Aviv: 62 mm, Hadera: 42 mm.
In the southern coastal plain and northern Negev: Sderot: 52 mm, Ashkelon: 42 mm.
Jerusalem recorded 20 mm over the past two days, while Be’er Sheva measured 11 mm.