The heat wave that began over the weekend continued Monday and the end is not near. Temperatures are expected to go as high as 36 degrees (97 Fahrenheit) in the Jerusalem region and the north, and 43 degrees (109 Fahrenheit) in Eilat, Ein Gedi and the Jordan River Valley.
On Sunday, temperatures hit 44 degrees (111 Fahrenheit) in the shade in the Jordan River Valley.
Temperatures are expected to drop slightly on Tuesday, particularly in hilly regions. However, no significant change in temperatures is expected until Friday at the earliest.
Experts confirmed that the heat wave is unusually strong, and in fact is hotter than any heat wave measured in the past 10 years. In addition to the heat, humidity levels are unusually high.
Israel is not alone in facing the heat. Worldwide measurements found that June 2010 was the hottest June ever recorded, and was the fourth consecutive month to break the “hottest ever” record.
The unusual heat was predicted as much as a year ago, in part due to the “El Nino” climate phenomenon, a pattern in which the surface of the eastern Pacific Ocean is unusually warm. Experts believe that El Nino years are followed by years with unusually warm weather.