Heat wave to break Sunday, though weather will remain warm

After over a week of searing conditions, temperatures to drop to seasonal average

A heat wave that baked Israel for over a week was set to finally break Sunday, with temperatures predicted to drop down to seasonal averages.

Jerusalem was forecast to see a high of 30° Celsius (86.0°F) Sunday, Tel Aviv 31°C, Haifa 29°C (87.8°F), Safed 27°C (80.6°F), Tiberias 37°C (98.6°F), Ashdod 32°C (89.6°F), Beersheba 36°C (96.8°F) and Eilat topping the chart with 41°C (107.6°F), according to the Israel Meteorological Service.

The Mediterranean Sea was predicted to be at a balmy 31 degrees, though waves were expected to be up to 1.4 meters in height making swimming challenging and dangerous.

Monday and Tuesday were predicted to have similar temperatures across the county with a slight rise for the rest of the week in most areas, though still within temperatures expected for the time of year.

With some cloud cover expected, the humidity in coastal areas was predicted to go up.

The weekend saw severe heat in most areas of the country, with the temperatures topping 35°C (95°F) in many areas and hitting highs of 39°C (102°F) in Beersheba and Tiberias, and 43°C (106°F) in Eilat.

Amid the heatwave, the Health Ministry urged Israelis, particularly the elderly and those with chronic conditions, to avoid excessive sun exposure and to drink large quantities of water. Its health advisory also noted that face masks to protect against COVID-19 are not required outdoors.

Also during the heatwave, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority called on Israelis to avoid lengthy hikes starting, citing the dangerously hot weather. It also underlined the ban on lighting fires in national parks.