Drought after 4 years of abundance? "The worst opening of the year in the last 50 years" - voila! news

In the video: floods in the center and snow in Hermon (photo: Rehovot News and the Hermon website)

At the end of four years in which the accumulated amounts of precipitation equaled the average and even exceeded it, the year 2022/23 is marked as a year that has passed.

About half of the rainy season has passed, but the amounts of rain are significantly lower than the average for the period in previous years - with a significant gap recorded in the northern regions of the country.

The data of the Israel Meteorological Service shows that the cumulative amounts recorded in the northeastern regions of the country reach less than half of the average for the corresponding period - and in some places even only about a third.

This places the season as one of the few rains recorded so far in the area.

In the Golan Heights in particular, this is the driest half of the season since measurements began about 30-45 years ago.

However, the company clarifies that there have been similar years in the past, for example in the Galilee and Emek Hula regions - where in the last 80 years about four to seven years were recorded in which the amounts of rain were of a similar magnitude and even smaller for the period.

The more you ascend and go west - the picture of the situation is less bad, despite the lack of rain that is still evident.

In the northern and central coastal plain and in the Judean Mountains, about 10 to 15 years were recorded with a similar or drier half of the season.

In the south of the country, higher amounts than the average for the period have even fallen since the beginning of the season.

"A significant rain event can change the picture."

The Sea of ​​Galilee, this season (photo: official website, Piras Talhami, Water Authority)

"This is the worst start to the year in the last fifty years. Most likely this year will be significantly lower than average," the water authority said.

They also emphasized the unique seriousness of the situation in the Golan Heights, a rain measuring station that is an indication of the feeding of the sources of the Jordan.

In it, it appears that the cumulative amount of rain recorded until last week - is only 126 mm. The situation is still reversible, and the Authority said that "a significant rain event can change the picture". However, a look ahead reveals another sunny and rain-free weekend, such Which is great for trips - but at the same time worries the farmers.

In assessing the future, Dr. Amos Porat, Director of Climatic Services at the Meteorological Service, stated that it is likely that the situation will continue as it began. "In the coming days and possibly even in the coming week no rain is expected, so the cumulative rain percentage will continue to decrease - and the degree of deviations compared to the past will increase." He further added Because the years that were similar to the current year or drier, ended as expected below average - sometimes to a considerable extent. According to him, "Usually the second part of the season was rainier, and the seasons ended with amounts of 60 percent to 75 percent of the average amounts of rain.

However, two of the years mentioned, the 1950/51 and 1998/99 seasons were severe drought years, in which quantities of about 50 percent of the average were recorded.

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The water reservoirs are still relatively full - and are above the green operating lines.

The Sea of ​​Galilee (photo: official website, Itai Dodi, Water Authority)

"One year will not destroy what has been accumulated in recent years, but it will create a new threshold"

Eyal Zigel, director of surface water at the Water Authority, claimed that after four years with higher than average amounts, the water reservoirs are still relatively full - and are above the green operating lines.

"We may end the year below the green line, but we will certainly be above the red line," he said.

"We still have two and a half meters to get there. One year will not destroy what has been accumulated here in recent years, but it will create a new threshold for the future."

He also added that in his opinion there is no cause for concern.

However, he clarified that "you have to have your finger on the pulse, in order to operate the systems correctly. We have to talk about legal and economic consequences and we are not talking about it yet, it is customary to start the conversation when amounts below 70 percent of the seasonal amount are received."

On behalf of the Agricultural Committee, it was reported that despite the concern about the lack of rainfall - a good winter is not measured only by amounts of rain.

"The days are too hot and there is no accumulation of cold rations," said Israel Karniel, chairman of Zichron Yaakov's agricultural committee. "It is too early to make big headlines.

Both the cold and the rains - there is still time.

Everyone understands that we need another two or three weeks before we can operate.

In the middle of February we can already be in a completely different situation.

Winter lasts until March-April, and we are still far from there."

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