Telephone lines throughout Israel were out today, and a number of citrus groves and farm acreage were damaged this weekend, when heavy rainstorms, accompanied by hail and sleet, with winds up to 72 miles per hour, drenched the northern half of the country. In the South, much of the Negev was in semi-darkness because of sandstorms. Many parts of the country were hit by temporary electric power breakdowns.
The storms, the most severe to strike Israel since the start of the winter, came as a shock to most of the population, after many weeks of relatively balmy conditions. In Tel Aviv, the fire brigade was busy for most of the day yesterday, dealing with emergencies arising from the storms. Five families were removed from buildings in Jaffa, which were in danger of collapsing.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
