The flooded Ayalon highway in Tel Aviv. Photo: Israel Matsav.

Tel Aviv was paralyzed on Tuesday when heavy rains flooded the main highways and closed the city off to traffic, as police asked drivers to refrain from trying to enter the city. Central train stations, including three of the four stations in Tel Aviv, were also closed due to flooding, Israel Hayom reported.

The drainage ditch along the main artery of Tel Aviv—the Ayalon highway—overflowed, and the entire highway was submerged.

“The Ayalon was closed in both directions to ensure the safety of the drivers due to inclement weather,” a traffic police spokesman told Channel 10 news. Dozens of streets were closed around Israel due to the flooding, and school was canceled in the Tamar region near the Dead Sea and in Be’er Tuvia.