Hamsin. Sharav. Sufot chol.
There are numerous names in Hebrew and Arabic for the hot, nearly gale-force wind that swept up from the Sahara Desert and into the Land of Israel on Monday.
But all added up to the same thing: extreme heat, downed power lines and fires in communities around the country. A thick, dusty haze settled into the air from the morning hours, casting an eerie orange tint in the sky. Temperatures ranged from the low to mid-30's Celsius (approximately 86 – 95 degrees Farenheit).
In Sderot, just a stone's throw away from northern Gaza, a tree crashed down on a set of power lines, knocking electricity out in a section of the city.
Fires were reported in the nearby Gaza Belt community of Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Also in the south, a main road in Kiryat Gat was closed to traffic due to downed power lines.
In the northern Negev community of Arad, Lili Muallem told Israel National News she called a neighbor from her job to make sure all the windows in her house were closed.
"We live on the edge of town, right next to the desert," she explained. "Any time we have a sand storm it just pours in any open window, even if it is only a little bit open. This time maybe I will be lucky."
Moving up the coast, in the Tel Aviv area, three houses were set afire when a tree crashed down on nearby power lines in the Chassidic village of Kfar Chabad. A short circuit plus dry conditions and high winds were all it took to kindle the blaze. No one was injured.
In central Israel, three apartments were badly damaged as flames shot up after high winds brought down more power lines near a building in Petach Tikvah. No one was injured in the blaze.
In Elad, near Bnei Brak, a fire broke out near a school – also causing no injuries. Small fires also broke out in the Tel Aviv suburb of Givatayim.
Rishon LeTzion reported that an electricity pole was toppled by high winds.
Along the northern coast, firefighters were called to battle a large blaze in Netanya. Another firefighting unit was summoned to Kibbutz Ziv to put out a fire near the cooperative community's chicken coops.
Near Route 44, a fire broke out at a carpentry shop, and at Moshav Avial a fire broke out in a field.
Towards Jerusalem, firefighters were called to battle a forest fire that struck the hills around Beit Shemesh.
At Ben Gurion International Airport, the haze also affected traffic, and pilots took extra precautions due to the poor visibility. Dov Air Field in Tel Aviv limited its air traffic due to weather conditions.
The weather was expected to break by evening, with temperatures predicted to drop some 12 degrees Celsius (20 degrees Farenheit) by Tuesday, and a new weather pattern bringing a light rain to the north of the country. Cool weather is in the forecast for the rest of the week, with temperatures rising slight on Friday and the Sabbath.