Israelis use website to check safest time to take a shower during missile alerts

Missile alerts in Israel give residents seconds to reach shelters. (Image credit: X)

• Israeli website "Can I Shower?" estimates safe shower times
• Tool uses missile alert data to advise on lower-risk periods
• Residents use tech to manage routines during frequent missile alerts

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In Israel, a simple question has taken on a serious meaning during the current conflict in the Middle East: when is it safe to take a shower?

With frequent missile alerts forcing residents to rush to shelters at short notice, many people have begun using a website called “Can I Shower?” to estimate the safest time during the day to bathe without the risk of being caught away from a protected space.

The tool was created by Israeli software developer Matan Ellhayani, who built the website after becoming frustrated by the constant interruptions caused by air raid sirens. The platform uses publicly available alert data and statistical modelling to estimate periods during the day when the likelihood of a missile warning is relatively low.

The website displays a real-time risk level, often expressed as a percentage, along with a graph showing how the probability of alerts has changed throughout the day. When the system detects a relatively calm window, it advises users that it is “relatively safe” to take a quick shower.

Missile alerts across Israel require residents to reach bomb shelters within seconds or minutes depending on their location. In cities close to conflict zones, residents may have less than 30 seconds to find cover after a warning siren sounds.

That has made everyday activities such as showering, cooking or even taking out the trash difficult during periods of intense missile fire.

Ellhayani said the idea for the tool came from his own experience trying to manage daily routines while remaining ready to respond to alerts. The statistical model behind the site analyses past warning patterns and current alert activity to estimate the likelihood of incoming attacks during short time intervals.

While the website does not guarantee safety, it helps users judge whether the moment carries a relatively lower risk compared with other periods of the day.

The popularity of the tool highlights how civilians adapt to prolonged conflict by using technology to manage ordinary routines. During periods of frequent missile fire, Israeli residents often organise daily schedules around the timing of alerts and the proximity of shelters.

Authorities still advise people to follow official safety instructions and immediately seek shelter whenever a siren sounds.

For many residents, the website simply offers a small sense of control over daily life in a situation where normal routines can be interrupted at any moment by the sound of an air raid warning.