Israelis in Cyprus Receive Extreme Weather Alert Following Storm

Israelis staying in Cyprus reported on Saturday that they received a pop-up flash alert on their mobile phones regarding extreme weather conditions. This comes against the backdrop of rains expected from the afternoon in the north of Israel and tonight in the rest of the country.

Several Israelis vacationing in Paphos said that hotel management asked them to leave the pools until the storm passes. Lior, an Israeli woman vacationing with her family in Paphos, described the extreme weather that surprised them:

"It started with really strong winds, and within a few hours the sky turned gray and it started to rain. We couldn't believe that in the last week of August we would get such an unusual storm."

Due to the extreme weather, several flights have been significantly delayed. A flight operated by a Cypriot airline from Athens to Larnaca was diverted to land in Beirut.

In Israel, the event will not be experienced with the same intensity as in Cyprus, but given the atmospheric conditions—cold air at altitude and warm, humid air closer to the ground—the possibility of local extreme events exists. Tonight and into Sunday, the earliest first rain ever recorded is expected to fall, mainly in the north and center of the country, potentially reaching the northwestern Negev area.

The weather system will include heavy rain, lightning, thunder, and hail, with risks of local flooding and temporary wind gusts. Roads will be particularly slippery, a phenomenon characteristic of the season's first rains, requiring extra caution from drivers.