The first 10 days of November registered the highest maximum temperatures ever recorded for Israel’s hills and coastal plain, the Israel Meteorological Service said Monday.
According to the service’s summary of Nov. 1-10, temperatures during those days were consistently above average and in many areas reached levels typical of September.
Average daytime highs ranged between 30 and 32 degrees Celsius (86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit) along the coast and in the lowlands, 28 to 30 degrees Celsius (82 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit) in the hills, and 32 to 36 degrees Celsius (90 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Negev and valleys—about 4 to 8 degrees higher than seasonal norms.
The meteorological service said November has seen higher maximum temperatures in the hilly and coastal regions since measurements began. In other areas, only the first 10 days of November 1941 were warmer. Nighttime minimums were also higher than average, making the period the warmest overall in decades for daily mean temperatures.
Forecasters said the unusual heat is expected to end later this week. Beginning on Thursday, a cold front is set to bring heavy rainfall, flash floods in southern desert valleys, and possible flooding in central cities. Rain will spread northward on Friday, with downpours delivering several centimeters of precipitation within hours before weakening on Saturday.
Meteorologists urged the public to follow updated weather warnings and avoid hiking in flood-prone desert areas.
