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A volunteer stands under an umbrella in the rain outside a polling station in Jerusalem on October 27, 2026, on election day. (Jewel SAMAD/AFP)

Heavy rains poured down on southern Israel and parts of the center on Tuesday, cutting off the main entrance to the southernmost city of Eilat, amid a national election that had seen record-high turnout through mid-afternoon.

Downpours on the Negev and Aravah deserts, and eastward to the Judean Foothills and Dead Sea, prompted the closure of Route 90, which leads to Eilat. Traffic from the city was open only to Ramon International Airport, police said.

Route 12, which connects the city to the Eilat Mountains, was also closed, as were Route 13, from the Menuha Junction to the Tzihor Junction, and Route 40, from Mitzpe Ramon to Keturah Junction.

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Promoted: Jewish Crossroads, Avi Issacharoff

At one measuring station near Eilat, the Israel Meteorological Service reported 17 millimeters (0.7 inches) over 3 hours.…