Israel’s severe heat wave is expected to reach its peak only on Sunday, but temperatures will already be above average to extremely hot on Saturday, particularly inland and in the mountainous regions.
Conditions along the coastal plain will be hot and humid, while heat stress will intensify across the country. The Israel Meteorological Service warned of heavy to extreme heat stress nationwide.
Tel Aviv's beach
(Photo: ilia YEFIMOVICH / AFP)
Temperatures are expected to rise further on Sunday, when the heat wave reaches its peak. Winds will strengthen from the afternoon.
A slight drop in temperatures is expected for the first time on Monday, although conditions will remain hotter than usual for the season and heat stress will persist. Tuesday morning is expected to be clear, with a further decline in temperatures as the heat wave begins to break.
Dr. Amir Givati, director of the Israel Meteorological Service, warned Thursday that people should avoid outdoor activity during the hottest hours. “We need to avoid physical activity during the hours of heavy heat,” he told the ynet studio. “There was a similar heat wave last August, and there were quite a few cases of heatstroke. This is a truly extreme heat event.
“People in the Tel Aviv metropolitan area may not fully understand what we are talking about, but in the north it will be very hot and dry during the afternoon.”
Forecast temperatures for Saturday and overnight: Jerusalem 23-34°C (73-93°F), Tel Aviv 25-32°C (77-90°F), Haifa 24-32°C (75-90°F), Safed 24-36°C (75-97°F), Katzrin 23-40°C (73-104°F), Tiberias 25-40°C (77-104°F), Nazareth 25-37°C (77-99°F), Afula 22-38°C (72-100°F), Beit She’an 27-41°C (81-106°F), Lod 24-34°C (75-93°F), Ashdod 25-32°C (77-90°F), Ein Gedi 31-41°C (88-106°F), Beersheba 23-37°C (73-99°F), Mitzpe Ramon 25-37°C (77-99°F) and Eilat 31-39°C (88-102°F)