Dense dust storm expected Monday

Pregnant women, elderly, young and the sick all urged to stay indoors until Tuesday rains clear the air

By ToI Staff 18 January 2016, 6:21 am Edit

Illustrative: Heavy dust turns the Tel Aviv sky orange at midday on September 8, 2015, in the worst sandstorm yet recorded in the country. (Times of Israel)

A dense cloud of dust is settling over Israel starting Monday morning, and will be washed away by strong rains expected Monday night and Tuesday morning.

The Environmental Protection Ministry is warning Israelis sensitive to air pollution, including the young, the elderly, those with heart or lung conditions and pregnant women, to remain indoors on Monday and avoid strenuous physical activity.

The density of the airborne dust will increase until the afternoon, meteorologists warn, and will affect the entire country.

A low-pressure system over the Mediterranean is driving the dust northeast from Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula.

Thunderstorms and snowstorms are expected on the Golan Heights and the Galilee on Tuesday, with scattered rains possibly reaching as far south as the northern Negev. Flooding is possible on Tuesday in the desert valleys of the West Bank and Negev.

The rains will last through Wednesday, clearing up by Thursday morning.