Winter storm Byron hammered Israel for a second straight day on Thursday, unleashing torrential rain, damaging winds, flooding, and dangerously cold temperatures that claimed at least one life and triggered a nationwide emergency response.

A 53-year-old man was found dead in his Netanya apartment with signs of hypothermia, according to ZAKA. Paramedics arrived after a neighbor raised the alarm, but the man was already lifeless. His body has been transferred to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, and officials say the circumstances remain under investigation.

Overnight temperatures in central Israel plunged below 10°C (50°F) as Byron dumped extraordinary volumes of rain on cities from the coast to the Shfela. Streets across the country transformed into rivers: Yavne emergency crews pulled 14 people from trapped vehicles, water poured into a Rami Levy supermarket, and videos from Rehovot showed cars half-submerged. In Baqa al-Gharbiya, responders resorted to paddling through flooded streets.

Rainfall reached extreme levels, with nearly 30 millimeters falling in one hour near Tel Aviv. Magen David Adom received a flood of distress calls from drivers stranded across the region. In Rishon Lezion, two young girls suffered minor injuries when a tree collapsed on their schoolyard.

The Israel Meteorological Service issued a red alert for “significant precipitation” and an orange warning for flash flooding across multiple regions, forecasting 100-150 mm of rain through Thursday night. Heavy snow blanketed Mount Hermon.

The IDF, anticipating dangerous conditions, halted all outdoor training, restricted soldier movement, and scaled back security operations through Friday morning. Several major training bases in the south are expected to face serious flooding.

Hospitals have been instructed to brace for increased patient loads as drainage systems nationwide struggle to cope with the deluge.

Storm Byron is expected to ease by midday Friday.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)