Temperatures will rise significantly Wednesday, humidity will drop and the weather will become hotter than usual to hot and dry across most of the country. In the morning, strong easterly winds blew in northern Israel and in the central highlands, and haze is also possible.
Meteorological Service Director Dr. Amir Givati said Tuesday that the expected heatwave will be the most intense so far this spring, and the first time this year that temperatures will reach 40°C (104°F) in eastern Israel — including the Beit She’an Valley, the Jordan Valley and the Arava — even though it is still not mid-April. In the coastal plain, the Sharon region and the northern Negev, temperatures are expected to reach 36°C–37°C (97°F–99°F).
An updated forecast from the Meteorological Service predicts that the rest of the spring and the coming summer will be significantly warmer than usual due to the developing El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to affect global temperatures.
On Thursday, temperatures are expected to rise further in the mountains and inland areas, and the hot, dry conditions will continue. From the afternoon hours, localized showers are possible in the south and east. The heatwave will persist on Friday, but during the day cooler and more humid air will move in, and winds will strengthen. From the afternoon, localized rain accompanied by thunderstorms is expected, mainly in the south, the mountains and inland areas. There is a risk of flash floods in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea region, as well as in the Negev and the Arava.
On Saturday, temperatures will drop significantly and return to seasonal averages. Light local rain is possible, mainly in the north.
Forecast temperatures for Wednesday and Wednesday night: Jerusalem 18°C–28°C, Tel Aviv 18°C–32°C, Haifa 22°C–30°C, Safed 17°C–24°C, Katzrin 18°C–28°C, Tiberias 18°C–30°C, Nazareth 19°C–29°C, Afula 13°C–31°C, Beit She’an 17°C–34°C, Lod 16°C–34°C, Ashdod 14°C–29°C, Ein Gedi 25°C–36°C, Beersheba 18°C–34°C, Mitzpe Ramon 19°C–39°C, Eilat 27°C–35°C.