Nearly a week of intermittent rainstorms – and the promise of one day more – drenched Israeli fields and put a damper on some pre-Purim celebrations for Friday.
The rains began to pour across the country on Saturday, after two months of winter that has been some of the driest in history, in many places. Both the heavy rainfall and cold air this week are the result of mid-latitude depressions from the central Mediterranean Sea, explained Dr. Amos Porat, head of the Israel Meteorological Services climatology department. While such conditions are relatively “normal” during winter times in this region, Israel has not experienced such conditions this year since mid-December, he said.
Overall this week, many areas received large amounts of rainfall, with some accumulating more than 100 millimeters of water, Porat said. Among weather stations to receive the largest amounts of rain from Saturday through Thursday afternoon were those at Gamla and Rosh Zurim, with 102 and 104 millimeters respectively, according to IMS data. Due to the dry conditions the rest of the season thus far, these two areas have only received 55 percent and 73% of their annual seasonal averages thus far, the data said.
Haifa received 28 millimeters this week and 276 millimeters total since September, representing 51% of the city's annual seasonal average. About 71 millimeters accumulated in Tel Aviv this week out of a total 367 millimeters this season, which amounts to 63% of the city's annual seasonal average. Meanwhile, Jerusalem received 80 millimeters of rain this week and 374 millimeters total since September, which is 70% of the annual seasonal average.
The only areas to come close to or exceed their annual seasonal averages thus far are selected areas in the South – with Negba accumulating 99% of its average, Beersheba 99% and Eilat 118%, according to the IMS data. Negba received 71 millimeters this week, Beersheba 48 millimeters and Eilat 11 millimeters.
As of Thursday morning, the water level of Lake Kinneret was 211.07 meters below sea level, the Water Authority said.
Because rains were due to continue on Friday, officials in some municipalities canceled outdoor pre-Purim events scheduled to take place that day. Mevasseret-Tzion canceled its children's Purim parade for Friday in anticipation of the ongoing inclement conditions.
The annual Tel Aviv Purim Street Party, scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. on Friday in Kikar HaMedina, was postponed a week to next Friday and now bears the new name "After Purim" Street Party. As of Thursday evening, however, the Haifa municipality had yet to cancel its Friday outdoor Purim, scheduled to take place as planned at 12 p.m. in Gan HaAm.
While the weather conditions this week were due to meteorological depressions, so too were the unseasonably warm and hazy conditions that persisted last week, Porat explained. These conditions, however, were caused by a different type of depression – one that begins in Africa and brings warm air from the desert, haze and sand storms north, known in Hebrew as “sharav,” he said.
March can be a particularly interesting month because sometimes, as has occurred this year, both types of depressions can occur, Porat added.
Traffic fatalities in the first two months of 2014 were 40% lower than those in the first two months of 2013, a decrease that the Road Safety Authority attributes to the relative dryness that has afflicted Israel this season thus far. While there were 55 traffic fatalities in January and February 2013, there were 33 during these months in 2014.
That being said, Road Safety Authority officials stressed that it is crucial to begin proper driving training for stormy wintry conditions, rather than "waiting for proof."
"Driving correctly in inclement weather only helps road safety," a statement from the authority said.