Blistering overnight conditions near the Dead Sea appear to have broken the record for hottest overnight temperatures recorded in Israel, set only a night earlier.
Israel Meteorological Service data shows that temperatures at the Sodom weather station in the southern Dead Sea evaporation pools only dropped to 38° C (100.4° F) at 5 a.m. this morning before starting to climb again.
The figure beats the previous night’s minimum of 36.6° C (97.8° F), recorded at the same station, which the IMS said yesterday had been the highest ever daily low in the nation’s history.
The record before the current heatwave had been 35.5° C (95.9° F), according to the IMS.
Temperatures over Thursday are expected to climb into the upper 40s Celsius (~115° F) in parts of the West Bank and Negev desert, including Eilat.
Other areas that experienced extreme heat on Wednesday, such as Jerusalem, the Golan Heights and Sea of Galilee, will see some relief, with the mercury forecast to top out in the mid-to-upper 30s Celsius.
The cooling trend is expected to continue into the weekend.
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, August 14, 2025
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