Itongadol.- Over 40 degrees Celsius registered in Beersheba, Kfar Saba and Haifa; record heat is a result of hot dry air coming from northern Africa.
An extreme heat wave struck Israel as Jews around the country celebrated Shavuot on Wednesday, breaking a seasonal record.
"We\’re experiencing the worst heat wave we\’ve experienced so far in Tel Aviv," weatherman Yuval Sender said.
"Tonight is expected to be hotter than usual, and the heat wave will break near morning – first in the coastal area and then gradually in the rest of the country. The wind will grow stronger, and haziness is possible," he added.
Over 40 degrees Celsius were registered in Beersheba (42 degrees), Kfar Saba (41 degrees) and Haifa (40 degrees). Tel Aviv was not far behind with 38 degrees, while Jerusalem (34 degrees), Qatzrin (35 degrees) and Safed (34 degrees) were in the mid-30s.
Prof. Hadas Sa\’aroni, a climatologist from the Department of Geography at Tel Aviv University, said the heat was caused by a hot low pressure system that moved along the north-African coast, gathering hot air and dust from the Sahara desert.