Several Times in the Past Decade - and it happened today

I woke this morning and looked out at the patio before heading out the door to Tel Aviv Medical Center for my allergy shots.  It was overcast, which is in itself unusual.  But wow!  It was wet!  Uncle Igor would have been very unhappy if he had put his old TV in storage on his patio this summer instead of last!

In the year that I have been here, Israeli's say I have seen the hottest summer on record (last year), the strongest winter storm in 25 years (last December), the most pleasant spring in a very long time, and now rain in August!  Interested in why?  Check out the book I am currently reading, "Changing Planet, Changing Health," by Paul Epstein and Dan Ferber. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rain falls in central Israel in surprise summer shower

Light drizzle falls in Tel Aviv, Rishon Letzion, near Ben-Gurion Airport, in a few other central cities.

Published 10:03 14.08.11Latest update 10:03 14.08.11
By Haaretz

Rain fell in central Israel Saturday night and Sunday morning, an anomaly for the usually arid month of August.  A light drizzle was reported in Tel Aviv, Rishon Letzion, near Ben-Gurion Airport and in a few other central cities. The precipitation may spread to north Israel on Sunday afternoon.         
It rarely rains in Israel in August, but this is not as unheard of as one would think. Although it does not happen every summer, rain has fallen in August several times in the past decade.