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Scorching temperatures during a record-breaking heatwave continue to be felt throughout Israel on Tuesday, with power outages across the country causing many to be stranded in elevators.
The Israel Electric Corporation reported a record high demand in the early afternoon hours, surpassing its ppeak in July of last year.
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Firefighters battle brush fires during an unusually long heatwave in Israel
(Photo: The Israel Fire and Rescue Authority)
The extreme heat and dry air caused bush fires around the country. with some residents in the north told to evacuate their homes fearing flames would spread to the northern village of Kafr Kana.
Some residents of the West Bank settlement of Adam, north of Jerusalem, were also evacuated Tuesday when a brush fire drew dangerously close to their homes.
Weather expert Nahum Malik from the Meteo-Tech meteorological service said the low humidity, which is no more than 10% in most areas of the country, is a contributing factor to many of the brush fires.
Two Israeli men have died from the heat this week: a 60-year-old man in the southern city of Dimona was found dead on the street on Sunday and a 41-year-old man perished in his car in Hadera on Monday. Both were found to have succumbed to heatstroke.
The government announced Tuesday it was lifting its directive for the use of face masks when people leave their homes due to the heat. The measure is in place until Friday when temperatures are expected to drop to seasonal norms.