Heat wave descends once again upon Israel

A second bout of punishing summer heat in as many weeks hit Israel on Saturday, with temperatures set to soar toward a stifling 39 degrees Celsius (102º F) in Jerusalem and 35 degrees (95º F) in Tel Aviv in the coming days.

Elsewhere in Israel, temperatures were predicted to climb to 41 degrees Celsius (105º F) in Tiberias, 42 degrees (107º F) at the Dead Sea and 44 degrees (111º F) in the southernmost resort city of Eilat, Channel 2 reported.

Israel’s Meteorological Service warned of rises in temperature on Sunday, with weather “becoming very hot all over.” Furthermore, the service said, there would be “very high to extreme heat stress in most regions.”

Monday would see a “slight drop in temperatures,” the service said, but warned that “there will still be very high heat stress and unseasonably high temperatures.” The weather will begin to return to usual summer temperatures on Tuesday, although it will also remain “unseasonably warm.”

The Health Ministry has urged the public, in particular the elderly and those suffering from chronic diseases, to avoid exposure to the sun and heat as much as possible, avoid physical exercise and to drink plenty of water.

The Meteorological Service also warned of the possibility of brush fires breaking out due to the high temperatures.

The heat wave comes after temperatures last week led to two deaths.

A one-year-old baby died after she hospitalized for heatstroke. Her father was also hospitalized with heatstroke and dehydration after the family hiked in the northern Hula Valley last Monday.

Also last week, 18-year-old IDF soldier Dan Sela died of heatstroke after collapsing in Jerusalem’s Old City.