Rare August rain hits Israel, breaks records and sends water rushing through Judean Desert

Israel appeared to briefly misplace its seasons on Saturday, as rain fell across parts of the country in the middle of August, breaking a rainfall record and producing what the Israel Meteorological Service said was the first recorded summer flood in a Judean Desert stream.

Jerusalem was among the beneficiaries of the meteorological mix-up, with heavy rain falling over parts of the capital and the surrounding hills during the afternoon. Radar images showed an intense patch of rain directly over the city, while flooding was reported in some neighborhoods.

The more dramatic numbers came just down the road in nearby Ma’ale Adumim, where an Israel Meteorological Service station measured 11 millimeters of rain in a single hour — an all-time August record for the area. The total later climbed to 15 millimeters, with flooding reported in the city and rescue crews called to assist residents whose homes were affected.

And the summer shower managed an even rarer trick in the Judean Desert. Water began flowing through Nahal Og, north of the Dead Sea, in what Meteorological Service Director Dr. Amir Givati said was the first flood ever documented there at this time of year. Authorities had issued flash-flood warnings for the desert and Dead Sea region ahead of the unusual weather.

Rain had begun falling in northern Israel at around 3 p.m. before appearing minutes later around Jerusalem, part of an unusual mid-August system affecting mainly the country’s eastern regions. The oddity may not be quite finished: more rain is forecast for eastern Israel from Sunday afternoon, while temperatures are expected to ease further at the start of the week.