Palestinian weather service warns of flash floods amid cold conditions
The Palestinian Meteorological Department has warned of cold and unsettled weather across Palestine, with a risk of flooding in some areas.
On Friday, conditions are expected to be cloudy to partly cloudy and cold to very cold, with scattered showers continuing until the evening. Westerly to northwesterly winds will be moderate to brisk, and sea conditions are forecast to be moderate to rough. Very cold temperatures and a chance of further showers are expected overnight.
The department cautioned that heavy rainfall could cause flash floods in valleys and low-lying areas, while strong winds may lead to slippery roads and reduced visibility.
Weather conditions are expected to stabilise over the weekend. Saturday is forecast to be clear and cold to very cold, with a slight rise in temperatures and calmer sea conditions. On Sunday, skies will be partly cloudy to cloudy, with another slight increase in temperatures.
By Monday, temperatures are expected to rise again, though conditions will remain cold under partly cloudy skies.
Palestinians living in the Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, where infrastructure has been severely damaged and a water crisis has emerged as a result of Israeli attacks, carry water distributed by water tankers to their living areas in jerry cans, in Deir el-Balah, Gaza, on January 01
‘Trapped between two fears’: Winter storms hit displaced families in Gaza
Displaced from northern Gaza to the centre of the territory, Ahmad is now living in a tent with his daughter after losing their two homes.
“I no longer remember how many times I have been forced to flee,” he said, in a post on X by UNRWA.
As winter conditions worsen, he described a daily struggle to keep his child safe.
“I am trapped between two fears: The cold that seeps into my daughter’s small body at night, and the fear for my own life when the rain comes and the tent can no longer protect us.”
The update comes as the Palestinian Meteorological Department warns of cold, unsettled weather and flooding across Gaza.
The United Nations said a Palestinian boy drowned after floodwaters engulfed a tent camp, highlighting the growing dangers facing displaced families sheltering in makeshift tents.
Displaced from northern to central #Gaza, Ahmad speaks with the weight of everything he has lost.
Living in a tent with his daughter, fear is constant:
“I am trapped between two fears — the cold that seeps into her small body at night, and the rain when the tent can no longer… pic.twitter.com/LRd9R2sXq0
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) January 2, 2026
Daily struggle of Palestinians in Gaza under harsh winter conditions
Palestinians deprived of basic needs struggle to survive under harsh winter conditions, at Shujayea district in Gaza City, Gaza on January 2, 2026
