Unprecedented heat wave descends on Israel, temperatures soar past 104

Temperatures reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit and even 113 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas on Sunday.

By David Isaac, World Israel News 

An unprecedented heat wave has descended on Israel with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the country. It’s expected to last for six days, the longest period ever recorded.

Temperatures reached 104 degrees Fahrenheit and even 113 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas on Sunday.

The Israel Electric Corporation reported that 1:30 p.m. on Sunday marked the highest electricity use ever in the month of May, only to announce on Monday at 1:51 p.m. that the Sunday record had been broken.

Electric outages, likely due to the high loads, were reported in certain areas, including Beit Shemesh and Efrat.

Israeli health authorities may decide that students in school will no longer have to wear masks against corona in class due to the heat wave.

On Wednesday, Israel’s beaches, which have been closed due to the pandemic, are slated to open, welcome relief for those looking to escape the heat.

A forecaster for Meteo-Tech, Tzahi Vaksman, said there a number of reasons for the intense heat.

He told news site Ynet, “There is a combination of two meteorological mechanisms here. In the higher strata of the atmosphere, high air pressure prevails, which causes the air to sink and compress towards the ground, this action causes the air to warm and dry, and these are the reasons for the heat that we’re feeling.

“In the lower levels, eastern winds blow originating in the Jordan, Syria and even Saudi Arabia, and this mechanism is leading to the creation of such a significant, prolonged and static heat wave for almost a week, a phenomenon that is certainly rare.”

The area expected to see the highest temperature is Kibbutz Gilgal in the Jordan Valley, about 10 miles north of Jericho. The temperature is forecast to pass 118 degrees Fahrenheit.