The heaviest rain fell in the south of Israel this week but with the Galilee and Golan streams still flowing strong from the heavy rains in the north earlier this month, the Kinneret (Seas of Galilee) continues to rise. The freshwater lake is 93.5 centimeters below its maximum level and is filling up at a rate of 1.5 centimeters per day. The Israel Water Authority plans opening the dam at the southern end of the lake at the end of March, if the lake is within20 centimeters of its maximum level but it would need more heavy rains next month for that to happen.
Most of the rain this week was in the south with Road 90 by the Dead Sea and further south in the Arava, closed for much of Monday night and Tuesday. 16 millimeters of rain fell in Eilat itself, according to Meteo-Tech, bringing the total amount of rain there this season to 18 millimeters, still two millimeters below the annual average.
Only 2 millimeters of rain fell in Beersheva, bringing the total there this season to 175 millimeters, still below the annual average of 205 millimeters. Most parts of Israel have already had more than their average annual rainfall. 32 millimeters fell in Jerusalem on Monday night and Tuesday bringing to 617 millimeters the amount of rain in the capital this season, above the average annual rainfall of 582 millimeters.
In the north, 717 millimeters has already fallen in Safed, equaling the city's average annual rainfall, and 555 millimeters has fallen in Nahalal, above the average annual rainfall of 538 millimeters. 559 millimeters has fallen in Haifa, above the average annual rainfall of 550 millimeters. But 'only' 506 millimeters has fallen in Tel Aviv, still below the annual average of 560 millimeters.
The forecast for the final few days of February is for warmer than average weather but with the possibility of occasional light showers on Friday and Saturday.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 27, 2020
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