Is lightning near Jerusalem right now?

Thunderstorm season near Jerusalem

Jerusalem sits in Israel, where lightning is most frequent October–April. Israel's lightning belongs to the rainy season. From October to April, cold air moving over a still-warm eastern Mediterranean fires thunderstorms along the coastal plain, from Haifa and Netanya to Tel Aviv and Ashdod, with the most strikes offshore and on the coast early in the season. Jerusalem and the hills see storms later in winter, and the Negev and Eilat get rare but intense storms with flash floods. These storms can move in fast from the sea, so the live distance to the nearest strike and whether it is approaching matter more than any monthly average.

Where Jerusalem sits

At about 792 m and roughly 51 km inland, Jerusalem's storms are typically heat-driven and quick to develop.

Elevation

792 m

Distance to coast

~51 km

Terrain

Elevated interior

Source: Elevation: open-meteo.com · Coastline: Natural Earth.

Lightning safety in Jerusalem

When thunderstorms build over Jerusalem, the distance to the nearest strike matters more than a city-wide count. Use the 30-30 rule: if thunder follows lightning by 30 seconds or less, get indoors, and wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before heading back out. StrikeCast surfaces the live distance and trend so you can act before the storm reaches you.

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Nearby lightning maps

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