Record rains lashed northern Israel and the Haifa region Tuesday, inundating roads and prompting flash flood warnings for the Judean Desert and Dead Sea areas as the weather system moves south overnight.

In Ma'agan Michael, pouring rains swamped drainage channels, leading to flooding in parts of the coastal kibbutz. The Hof HaCarmel High School, located in the community, sent students home early due to the flooding.

Video footage posted online showed students wading through knee-high water next to half-submerged cars in the school's parking lot.

In a statement, the Hof HaCarmel regional council explained that the "large quantity [of rain] put a burden on the drainage system, which had been clean and in working condition, but it could not withstand the unusually large amounts of water."

The Israel Meteorological Service said in a tweet that 196 millimeters (7.7 inches) of rainfall were recorded over a four-hour period in nearby Zichron Yaacov, setting a new record for the country. The figure represented some 60% of the area's average yearly rain total.




The record for a single day is 255 millimeters (10 inches), set in Kafr Qassem in November 1955.

Flooding fears led authorities to close a portion of Route 2, the busy coastal highway linking Tel Aviv to Haifa, for several hours Tuesday, with traffic redirected further inland.

The rain tapered off toward the evening, but was expected to pick up again across the north later on Tuesday night and continuing into Wednesday before clearing up on Thursday. Other parts of the country, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the Dead Sea region, were also expected to see heavy rains Wednesday.

The IMS said there was a slight risk of flooding in the Judean Desert and around the Dead Sea, as well as along the coast and in the Shfela region due to the rain.

Tami Ganot, deputy director of environmental advocacy organization Adam Teva V'Din, said Tuesday's flooding was proof of "Israel's complete lack of preparedness" for changes to the climate that experts say are exacerbating extreme weather events.

Noting that normally arid Israel had an interest in ensuring the rain enters the natural water system, Ganot took aim at the "climate-denying government" for pushing a climate change bill she termed "meaningless."

Critics say the legislation will allow the government to change emissions targets and give undue influence to industry interests.

The law "will allow government ministries and local authorities to fail to prepare," Granot said. "And this is nothing short of recklessness."

Sue Surkes contributed to this report.
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