While last week temperatures in Yerushalayim hovered in the 70s and 80sF during the daytime hours, winter is back and Baruch Hashem, the badly-needed rainfall has returned.

The rains began on Sunday night the eve of 13 Adar I in the north and worked their way to the south of the country. Heavy rainfall occurred during periods of the night in the capital and elsewhere, and there are reports of flooding in low-lying areas. The Mount Hermon ski resort in the Golan Heights is closed today, Monday, announcing it plans to reopen when the storm passes.

There are reports of heavy flooding in areas, including the collapse of a ceiling in the Beersheva Grand Canyon shopping mall. There is heavy flooding in southern Negev areas, as well as in the Ein Gedi region where many schools were closed.

Daytime highs for areas around Israel for Monday, 13 Adar I include:

· Ashkelon 17C (62.5F)

· Beersheva 18 (64.4)

· Eilat 25 (77)

· Ein Gedi 24 (75)

· Haifa 17 (62.5)

· Jerusalem 13 (55.4)

· Katzrin 15 (59)

· Kiryat Shmona 17 (62.5)

· Tel Aviv 18 (64.4)

· Tiveria 19 (66)

· Tzfat 12 (53.5)

Sporadic thundershowers are expected during the day accompanied by wind gusts up to 50 KPH (30 MPH).

Tuesday’s forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with periods of light rain. Wednesday’s forecast calls for warmer temperatures without rainfall.

Photo / Video: Flooding in Yavne

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo: Media Resource Group)