May 13, 2014, Updated May 12, 2014

may storm 2 f90 (1)
Israel got an unexpected soaking last week when a rare and unusually ferocious May storm hit the country, causing flash floods and road closures across the south.

The tropical storm followed a five-day spell of intense heat. Heavy rain fell all over the country with thunderstorms wreaking havoc and lightning lighting up the skies.

At the height of the storm, Eilat was closed for hours as the entrance to the city was flooded.

Rainy periods do occur in May, but not with such ferocity or strength. Rain fell almost constantly from Wednesday night through Thursday morning.

“This event was exceptional or even unique for May,” Dr. Baruch Ziv, a climate scientist at the Open University, told the Jerusalem Post. “I think that there was not even one rain station in Israel that didn’t get rain.”

This week’s Photo of the Week of lightning over Jerusalem is by FLASH90.

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