January 7, 2015
Palm trees on the beach in Tel Aviv on January 6, 2014. Photo by Ben Kelmer/Flash90
Palm trees on the beach in Tel Aviv on January 6, 2014. Photo by Ben Kelmer/Flash90

Israelis love to talk about the weather. And the first real winter storm to blow through the country this season saw newscasters and social-media commentators turn up the banter on snow, hail, wind, sandstorms and rain.

There was so much ado about the January storm that some schools were closed even before the first snowflakes sprinkled down.

Cartoonist Guy Morad skewered the country’s fear of facing a storm of “biblical proportions” in Yediot Aharonot’s daily comic spot. You can see it here.

The last two years have brought colder-than-usual weather and short but fierce storms to the Middle East. ISRAEL21c produced this popular “Jerusalem of White” video clip in the storm of 2013:

Strong winds and sandstorms swirled around the country on January 6, knocking down billboards and causing car accidents and power outages. But January 7 brought the brunt of the storm – and with it, gorgeous photos and funny videos of inevitable mishaps.

The Channel 4 video of a woman in Ramat Gan trying unsuccessfully to cross the road was shared quickly on social-media networks. Fortunately, those filming it also got up to help her.

Food porn — out. Storm status updates, pictures and videos — in.

“Wind howled all night keeping me awake…expected King Lear or Heathcliff to appear any minute…. aaaaarrrgghhhhhh,” a friend posted on her Facebook timeline.

In Kiryat Yam, a student uploaded a video clip he called, “Learning physics in five-centimeters of water.”

Cows walking in the snow-covered landscapes in Golan Heights,  January 07, 2015. Photo by Golan Council Spokesperson/FLASH90
Cows walking in the snow-covered landscapes in Golan Heights, January 07, 2015. Photo by Golan Council Spokesperson/FLASH90

As was to be expected, there was snow in Safed (Tzfat), Mount Hermon and even Majdal Shams. The rest of the country had bitter winds, thunderstorms, hail and sheets of rain. Click here, to see the video.

Surfers enjoyed a day of fun on the Mediterranean Sea, catching waves up to nine meters (29 feet) along the coastline.

People windsurfing at the beach in Tel Aviv on January 6, 2014. Photo by Ben Kelmer/Flash90
People windsurfing at the beach in Tel Aviv on January 6, 2014. Photo by Ben Kelmer/Flash90

Not everyone enjoyed the extra water, though; there was flooding in numerous cities.

A tree fell on a bus carrying passengers in Petah Tikva (no one was hurt), power lines fell in Haifa, and falling pieces of billboards, construction material and trees caused damage in numerous areas.

The name of the Hagana Train Station in Tel Aviv became a misnomer as chunks of construction materials fell to the tracks. Hagana, in Hebrew, means “defense” or “protection.” But there was no protection here.

And what would a report on the weather be without a reference to “Let it Go” from the popular Disney hit film Frozen? The Israeli parody includes lyrics such as “Light rain is not a hurricane/everything is wet and the carpet is wet again.”

There’s also a line that goes: “Soon everyone will begin to complain/that in Israel they don’t know how to build properly/the stairwells are flooded/we’re freezing/it’s a tragedy, it’s a tragedy to wear a puffy jacket/it’s a tragedy, it’s a tragedy to skid on the Ayalon [Freeway].”

 A man runs against sandy winds in Tel Aviv on January 6, 2014. Photo by Ben Kelmer/Flash90

A man runs against sandy winds in Tel Aviv on January 6, 2014. Photo by Ben Kelmer/Flash90

If you understand Hebrew, the song’s new lyrics are really quite hilarious. Listen to it here.

 

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