Two people have died amid a record-breaking heat wave that roasted Israel this week, reaching highs of some 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 Celsius), according to Hebrew media reports.
A 70-year-old man died in Eilat after collapsing from heatstroke. The second fatality was recorded in the central Israeli city of Rishon Letzion, where a man in his 60s also succumbed to the heat.
The hottest parts of the country were inland in the Dead Sea area, the city of Eilat and the Jordan Valley. While temperatures repeatedly topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) in Jerusalem this week, with little nighttime relief and record-high lows, Tel Aviv and other coastal cities hovered around 90 degrees (32 Celsius) but saw humidity levels over 70%.
Electricity demand broke records on Wednesday for the fourth consecutive day. Israelis used more than 17,000 megawatts on Wednesday, after surpassing 16,000 MW on Tuesday, according to Israel’s Independent System Operator company.
Temperatures were expected to drop on Friday and return to normal by Saturday.
