A hurricane-like storm has caused serious damages to fruit yields in the Western Galilee in Israel.

The unusual storm, which occurred yesterday, hit orchards of avocado, lychee, pears, nectarines, peaches and other fruit varieties, some of which are grown especially for export.

Giora Sella, secretary of the Israel Fruit Growers Association, said that in several farms, 80 per cent of the crop was destroyed over just one night by the fierce storm.

He called upon the government to come to the aid of the farmers who look likely to have lost most of their anticipated returns.

Sella added that the natural disaster followed two years of low prices for summer fruits.