River drainage authority reports impressive rise in level following heavy rainfall • Bathing on Tel Aviv beaches has been banned for fear of contamination

• Bathing in Sea of ​​Galilee // Photo: Gil Eliyahu, Ginny

A joyful surprise: Following the intense rains that have swept through most parts of the country in recent days, the Sea of ​​Galilee has risen impressively in the last day - a 9-inch rise.

Since the beginning of the winter, the Sea of ​​Galilee has risen by 51 inches in total. The Sea of ​​Galilee Authority said that the entire Sea of ​​Galilee is missing another 2.59 meters.

In the meantime, the Hermon site will open to visitors this morning. Last Friday, it was decided to close the site following the elimination of Iranian Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force commander Qassem Suleimani, and fears of a security response to an incident in the northern sector.

Ga'aton avenues are blocked due to flooding, fear of pollution at sea in Tel Aviv

The Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality announced this morning that due to the heavy rains in recent days, and the expectation of more rains in the coming days, there is concern about seawater pollution due to rainwater flow containing accumulated dirt from streets and city roads. The municipality said: "In accordance with the Ministry of Health's instructions, we will announce the exclusion of beaches for bathing until further notice and proper results are obtained."

Flooding routines in Nahariya (archive) // Photo: Ginny

Following the flooding of the Ga'aton river, it was decided at the end of a special situation assessment that the Nahariya station headquarters continued to block the Ga'aton avenue for vehicular traffic, in order to maintain road users' safety. The police said that at this stage crossing of the Gaaton will be possible on the main streets (Weizman and Herzl), but driving along the Gaaton will not be possible this morning, but only for pedestrian traffic. As the flow of water in Gaaton has dropped, along with the drainage of the road and its safe traffic training, a message will be issued later regarding the opening of the avenue for vehicular traffic.

The forecast for the next week: cold and rainy

The meteorological service said today the temperature will rise and return to normal in the season. Awake winds will blow along a coastal plain. However, tomorrow the heat is expected to drop again, and it will be colder than usual.

Photo: Gil Eliyahu, Ginny

On Wednesday, rain is expected, which will be accompanied by thunderstorms and hail in the north of the country. The rains will gradually spread to the center of the country and blow strong winds. Snow has fallen in Hermon, and there is a fear of flooding on the coastal plain.