Sunday turned out to be a stormy day, as the hot streak continued from the weekend to a certain degree and local rains caused flooding.
The Tzin River in the south rose over its banks due to the rainfall and caused flooding, leading Highway 40 to be blocked to traffic about a kilometer south of Nafha Prison, in a region located between Sde Boker and Mitzpe Ramon in the Negev. Police forces directed traffic in the area.
More drama was in store as the lightning storms that have been felt in the south for the past day caused a fire.
Lightning apparently struck a landmine in a field of thorns and brush adjacent to Neot Hakikar located in the Tamar Regional Council, just south of the Dead Sea and right on the Jordan border.
The impact and resulting explosion appears to have caused flames to spread through the field, and firefighting crews were dispatched to the scene. However, the firefighters' work was made all the more difficult due to the fact that the field is littered with landmines defending the border. It would appear that the residents of the region are in no danger, according to reports.
On Monday the temperatures are to drop in a cooling pattern that is to continue over the course of the week, following several particularly warm days during the past weekend.
Incremental rain is expected for Tuesday together with lone lightning storms in the north and central regions of the country, and there are flood warnings in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea regions.
Then on Wednesday local rains will continue and lightning storms may continue, as temperatures remain below seasonal norms. Thursday is to be partially cloudy with a light rise in temperatures.
Temperatures on Monday are expected to reach 25° C (77° F) in the Golan Heights, 26° C (78° F) in Tel Aviv, 25° C in Jerusalem, 24° C (75° F) in Haifa, 30° C (86° F) in Be'er Sheva, and 33° C (91° F) in Eilat.