Brush fires rage through the country and hundreds suffer from heat-related maladies as a massive, record-breaking heat wave reaches its peak, with temperatures shooting up mercilessly from north to south.
The brutal heat wave, which began on Sunday, is expected to continue through the beginning of the week. Sunday saw temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the country.
The extreme heat wave, or “sharav” that began on Saturday in Israel has brought with it warnings to Israelis not to forget to keep drinking water.
Those with medical conditions, the elderly, young, and pregnant are urged to remain indoors with fans or air conditioning as much as possible.
Temperatures spiked on Sunday, reaching into the 40s celsius (100s fahrenheit) in desert and beach areas such as Eilat, where it reached as high as 45 / 113 degrees.
The heat wave that afflicted the entire country Sunday will continue Monday, with the exception of the coastal plain, which will enjoy a slight drop in temperatures thanks to a breeze from the Mediterranean Sea.
Temperatures rose above 40 degrees Celsius in several places on Sunday. Eilat recorded an all-time high for May, at 46 degrees, according to the Israel Meteorological Service. Temperatures hit 43.4 degrees in Be’er Sheva, 40.6 degrees in Beit Dagan, 37.1 degrees in Jerusalem and 33.9 degrees in Safed.