Brush fires broke out in central and southern Israel as a record-breaking heat wave ripped through the region on Wednesday. Heat wave in Israel led to forest fires and even caused flight delays. Cases of dehydration and fainting were reported as large-scale relief and rescue efforts were carried out in various parts of the country.
Temperatures shot up as places like Golan Heights, Beit Shemesh, northern West Bank, and even Jerusalem reported blazes. On Wednesday, Tel Aviv recorded 42°C, Haifa 39°C, and Jerusalem 37°C.
The heat wave led to power outages in some parts of Israel with strong winds taking down electricity lines. In addition to this, Ben Gurion International Airport also reported delays due to excessive heat. Several small fires were reported in Jerusalem and six people were evacuated with light injuries. In Beit Shemesh, as many as 20 firefighting crews teamed up with four firefighting aircrafts to battle a dangerously large blaze. Meanwhile, in the northern West Bank, fifteen firefighting teams along with six firefighting aircrafts dealt with a fire close to Sal’it.
Israel’s National Fire and Rescue Authority placed 600 firefighters throughout the country on alert. Also, 12 firefighting aircrafts were also put on alert and the general masses were given directions to stay safe. On Wednesday night, however, several places in Israel received tropical rain showers, bringing marginal relief to the region. Seasonal averages are expected to return on track and the heat wave is most likely to break on Thursday. The region is expected to cool down over the weekend.
(Featured Image Credit: timesofisrael.com)
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