Eldan Hotel

The climate of Jerusalem is unique. Maybe we knew it intuitively, but now there is scientific data to back up it up. There are two sources of natural energy in the world ? sun and water ? but these resources are doled out in different quantities. Some countries get too much sun and some get too much rain. Where rainfall is abundant, there are generally fewer hours of sun, as in the tropics. On the other hand, when solar radiation is abundant, rainfall tends to be scarce, as in subtropical deserts.

According to a professor of geophysics and planetary sciences at Tel Aviv University, P. Alpert, who did a comparative study of sunshine and rainfall around the world, Jerusalem has both plentiful solar radiation and enough rainfall to keep it from falling into the desert or semi-arid category.

Jerusalem, believe it or not, gets the same amount of rain as London, but twice as much sun. Jerusalem sits on a mountain (769 m high), but it also borders on the desert. The Judean Desert receives about 100 mm of annual rainfall, whereas Jerusalem itself receives an average of 492 mm annually. At the same time, Jerusalem enjoys an average of 9 hours of sunshine a day.The big difference is that London can be dreary and drizzly all year around. In Jerusalem, the rains are limited to a few months. Theoretically, the rainy season begins in September-October, although sometimes it rains once and then stops until mid-November-December. The first rain of the year has a special name in Israel ? the ?yoreh.? Prayers for rain, called ?tefilat hageshem? are recited in the synagogue beginning on Simhat Torah, as the autumn holidays come to an end.

From that moment on, the rainfall countdown begins. Water is a scarce resource in Israel, and every drop counts. When it does rain, it tends to come down in buckets. But it doesn?t last for long. The water may turn the streets into raging rivers but have no fear: The sun is always close at hand, ready to break through the clouds and shine once again on the city of Jerusalem.