BACKGROUND: Being close to the big deserts of the Sahara and Saudi Arabia, the Negev desert in the south of Israel is meteorologically defined as a semi-arid area. Purpose: To investigate the influence of meteorological factors typical for the semi-arid areas on the incidence of preeclampsia (PE) and placental abruption (PA). METHODS: The hospital records of women in confinement who had PE and/or PA between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. The current meteorological state was described by temperature, humidity, their overall differences and winds. Multivariate analysis, time series approach and Poisson regression are used. RESULTS: The incidence of PE and PA was increased during the periods of unstable weather. Strong winds were associated with increased frequency of PE (p < 0.002); desert wind of Sharav (specific atmospheric state and motion of big desert air volumes) increased incidence of PA (p < 0.033). Daily overall differences of temperature and humidity were correlated with PE (p < 0.03). An inverse correlation between humidity level and PA was obtained (p Euro Surveillance (Bulletin Europeen Sur Les Maladies Transmissibles; European Communicable Disease Bulletin) 0.000). Increase in PE incidence preceded sharp variations in temperature with an average of 3-day lag (p < 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: An ensemble of meteorological variables, specific for each disorder, affects frequency of PA and PE occurrence. Obstetricians working in semi-arid areas should be aware of the influence of unstable weather conditions on the incidence of PE and PA, especially, in the spring and autumn seasons.