Steady rains which blanketed Israel during the weekend have brought last-minute relief to farmers who were already planning to plow under fields and re-sow parched winter crops in many parts of the country.
Haifa and other coastal areas were pelted in heavy storms which flooded entire streets. Some localities received the equivalent of six months of normal rainfall in 48 hours.
In parts of the Nogev, sandstorms mingled with cloudbursts which saved several hundred thousand dunams of unirrigated crops. In Eilat gales caused a collision of two freighters. One of the vessels, a 7, 000-ton ship loaded with cargo for Japan, was damaged. Port operations at Eilat were interrupted by the stormy weather.
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.