Israel was also hit by a severe heat wave across Europe over the weekend, dubbed “Kleon”.
Temperatures were expected to rise to around 40 °C (104 °F) and above across the entire eastern part of the country. To the west, they were expected to hover around 30 degrees.
The temperature is expected to remain very high till Monday, starting with a slight drop from Tuesday.
The Ministry of Health cautioned the public, especially the elderly and others whose health is compromised, to avoid physical exertion in the coming days in the heat and sunlight, and stay in a cool environment and Drink water
The public is also prohibited from lighting open fires due to the increased risk of fires getting out of control.
It’s getting hot in Southern Europe too. In Greece, disgruntled tourists mourned the temporary closure of the Acropolis in Athens on Friday as Greek authorities actively closed the gates to the world monument between noon and evening amid the heat.
Red Cross workers handed out bottled water to long lines of tourists hoping to defy the shutdown and climb the stairs to the gleaming Parthenon temple.
A tourist drinks water under an umbrella in front of the 5th century BC Parthenon temple on the Acropolis hill during a heat wave Thursday, July 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Petros Giankouris)
In Spain, people packed the beaches as the country enjoyed a short-lived respite from a second summer heat wave. Temperatures were still reaching 40 degrees Celsius in at least 12 of Spain’s 17 regions on Friday, although this was lower than the high of 45 degrees (113 Fahrenheit) that scorched the southeastern city of Albox on Wednesday.
In Italy, the country’s health ministry on Friday warned residents of 10 cities from Bologna to Rome to avoid going outside in the midday heat because of extreme temperatures. The same warning has been issued for five other cities in Sicily, Sardinia and Puglia for this weekend. Temperatures are expected to reach 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) above average in some areas of the country later this week.
Tourists rest on a bench in Orange Park in downtown Rome, Friday, July 14, 2023. A severe heat wave has reached Italy, with temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius in many cities across the country. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
In the southeastern Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus, people huddled under air-conditioning units and cooling fans as midday temperatures were forecast to reach 43 C (110 Fahrenheit) inland.
Overnight temperatures were not expected to drop below 25 °C (77 Fahrenheit), while humidity levels were expected to reach an uncomfortable 65%, particularly on the south coast.
A woman gives a massage to a bather in the shade of a tree during a hot day at Alimos beach near Athens, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Petros Giankouris)
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg stressed in a post on Twitter that the high temperatures should serve as an urgent warning to the global heat record.
“Last week we experienced the hottest days ever for several days in a row. We are also experiencing record-high sea level temperatures and record-low snow levels. this is an emergency.”
