A heat wave continues throughout Israel, spurring calls to cut electricity usage, consume plenty of water and stay out of the sun.
The Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) has requested that Israelis refrain from using major appliances between 12-6 PM and not turn air conditioner thermostats below 77 degrees (25 Celsius).
The IEC remains on alert for outages, but does not expect any problems. Peak demand is expected to rise to 9,500 megawatts – and the infrastructure in place can handle up to 10,300.
Over the Sabbath, the highest temperatures were recorded in the Jordan Valley. A high of 113 degrees (45 Celsius) was felt in the low area along Israel’s border with Jordan. Elsewhere in the Jerusalem region, temperatures were in the high nineties. It was cooler in Tel Aviv (82 Farenheit/28 Celsius), though the humidity was much higher than the rest of the country.
The heat wave is expected to continue until Thursday.
Forest Fires Break Out; Arson Suspected
More than 20 fires broke out at nature preserves and forests across Israel, near the Galilee towns of Kiryat Atta, Karmiel, Sakhnin, Deir al-Assad and Abu Snen. Scores of acres of Galilee forest were burned in what police say may have been nationalist arson by local Arabs. At least one of the fires burned land and crops claimed by Arabs from a Jewish kibbutz.
The hot weather made it difficult for firefighters to control the blazes.