Flooding in the Negev (file)
Flooding in the Negev (file)Nati Shohat/Flash 90

The weather in recent weeks has been shifting from wet and wintry to warm and sunny, but this weekend has another shakeup in store as unusually strong floods are being predicted for Israel's south.

According to the Water Authority massive floods are to hit the south this Saturday, and they are predicted to block off highways in the Negev and the Arava region.

Primarily the floods are expected for the normally arid desert region of the Zin River, the Paran River and the Dead Sea Rivers, which for most of the year are dry riverbeds.

The peak of the flooding is anticipated to hit in the evening hours on Shabbat.

In a statement the Water Authority noted that the floods are to be unusually powerful according to the model created by the organization's hydrological services department.

Wide sections of the Negev and the Arava up to the southernmost port city of Eilat are to be significantly affected by the intense flooding according to the statement.