Following an extended period of intense heat, forecasters are predicting unusual summer rainfall - the second of its kind this month.
Wednesday will be clear for most of the day, with significant heat stress in inland and mountainous areas and particularly humid conditions along the coast. Forecast temperatures: Jerusalem and the coastal region are expected to see temperatures of 33°C, while temperatures in the Shefela will reach 34°C, and in the northern Negev 37°C. Eilat's temperatures are expected to reach 42°C, while Tzfat's are predicted to be 33°C.
No significant change is expected Thursday, and temperatures will remain above seasonal average.
On Friday, temperatures will fall very slightly but will remain somewhat higher than usual for August.
Temperatures will drop slightly on Saturday, falling to seasonal average. From the afternoon onward, there is a chance of local rain. Overnight, particularly during the second half of the night, there may be local rainfall in northern and central Israel, as well as thunderstorms. In the north, the rain could be relatively heavy.
Sunday is expected to be cooler than usual. Local rainfall will be concentrated mainly in the morning hours, and will gradually weaken.
By Sunday morning, rainfall totals in parts of northern and central Israel could reach double digits, making the event particularly unusual for August and potentially breaking seasonal rainfall records in some locations.
Monday will be partly cloudy with a slight rise in temperatures, although conditions will remain relatively pleasant for August. The respite from the heat, however, is not expected to last long.
This would be the second unusual rain event to develop this month: A similar event occurred around two weeks ago, when approximately 18.5 mm of rain fell in Maaleh Adumim, accompanied by local thunderstorms in the Jerusalem area and eastern Israel. Meteorological officials at the time linked the phenomenon to a climate pattern associated with "Super El Niño," which has recently been disrupting weather patterns on several continents around the world.
Rain in Israel during August is not entirely unprecedented, but the amount of precipitation determines how unusual an event is. Light drizzle along the coastal plain occurs on average once every two years, while more significant rainfall of 5-10 mm or more occurs only once every five to ten years on average, primarily in inland areas.
The last time such amounts were recorded was in August 2022, when approximately 10.4 mm of rain was measured at the Yonatan weather station in the central Golan Heights.