Strong winds batter Israel leaving 2 children badly hurt
A 10-year-old girl is in a serious condition after a tree falls on 2 schoolchildren as gusts rip through most parts of the country in the first winter weather system to hit Israel this season
One of the girls, aged 10, initially suffered moderate and was taken to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba where her condition deteriorated and is now described as serious.
The other girl, aged 8, was taken to Laniado Hospital in Netanya and her condition is described as light. She sufferers from injuries to her head and legs.
"I saw a large palm tree that collapsed and a girl, aged about 9, trapped underneath it," said MDA paramedic Moshe Gafni. “She was fully conscious and suffered from multisystemic injuries. Near her was another girl who suffered injuries to her head and legs.”
The incident comes after temperatures dropped significantly overnight Sunday and winds tore through most parts of Israel in what appears to be the first winter weather system this season.
Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority earlier said they’re closing several hiking routes and tourist sites due to what they described are “extreme weather condition.”
According to the Meteo-Tech meteorological company, winds in the northeastern Mediterranean Sea will reach speeds of up to 40 kph (25 mph), while the winds on the northern shores will reach the speed of up to 55 kph (34 mph).
In the northern city of Haifa, the temperatures will range from 23 degrees celsius during the day Sunday to just 16 degrees at night. In Tel Aviv, the weather will be similar with a range of 24 degrees during the day and 15 degrees at night. In the southern city of Be’er Sheva, temperatures will range from 23 degrees throughout the day to 13 degrees at night. In Jerusalem, the temperatures will be cooler, reaching 17 degrees celsius during the day and falling to 10 degrees overnight.
Despite the low temperatures, the weather will be dry and partly cloudy. Mist is expected in some parts of the country.
