Anyone planning on having a sun-filled vacation in Israel recently must have been sorely disappointed. Despite recent Israeli winters that were mild and dry, these last few months have seen an overwhelming amount of rainfall that’s left its mark on streets, rivers and waterfalls throughout the country.
Rainfall in Israel from September to February reached an astonishing 130 percent of the annual average for this time of year, and 114% of overall amount of winter rain, according to Israel’s Water Authority.
This is particularly good news considering that the last five years saw less-than-average rainfall during wintertime.
More good news is that the Sea of Galilee’s water level rose by 71 centimeters (2.3 feet) during February.
Unfortunately, the lake still needs another 4.05 meters (13 feet) to fill up completely. Also in unfortunate news is that the ever-shrinking Dead Sea lost another 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) during that same month.
The heavy rainfall, however, has made for some stunning scenes such as gushing streams and overflowing waterfalls.
Less-than-wonderful-scenes occurred in Israeli cities, where the rainfall occasionally flooded streets and required emergency intervention to free trapped drivers from roads-turned-rivers.
Still, we’ll be looking at these photos with wonder and longing when the scorching sun hits us this coming summer.
For now, the delightful weather of spring is upon us.
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