The first rains of the Jewish new year are expected to arrive this weekend, meteorologists say — and on Sunday, the eve of Simchat Torah, Israel may even see its first winter system of the season.
On Thursday seasonal temperatures were forecast, with cloudy skies and light rain expected in the north and coastal plain.
The fading heat of summer is still making an appearance in the Golan Heights, around Lake Kinneret, on the Mediterranean coast, at the Dead Sea and in Eilat.
But temperatures are expected to drop, with no heat stress at all in Jerusalem and Modi’in and may drop even further – albeit gradually – in the coming days.
Lake Kinneret Water Level
At present, the water level in Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) stands at 210 meters below sea level, just 1.24 meters below the upper red line and 2.96 meters above the lower red line.
The level is 4.83 meters higher than the lowest water level ever recorded in the lake, 214.87 meters below sea level, also known as the “black line.”
The upper red line (208.8 meters below sea level) indicates the lake is at maximum capacity, and any level above this point requires the opening of the Degania Dam to prevent flooding.
The lower red line (213 meters below sea level) indicates the point where damage to the ecological balance begins, and the water quality starts to decline. Once the water level hits the lower red line, it is prohibited to pump or use water from Lake Kinneret.
The black line indicates the water level is below the pipes in the lake, making it impossible to draw water from the Kinneret.
