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World Jewish News
Fires blaze as heatwave sweeps country
04.05.2009
Power lines collapsed, trees fell down and fires broke out across the country on Monday, as a 'sirocco,' a dry, hot wind from the Sahara, swept through Israel.
Near Tel Aviv, a blaze broke out in three houses in Kfar Chabad. Firefighters evacuated residents, and no one was injured, though damage was caused.
There were power outages in Sderot as a tree fell on power lines, and in Kiryat Gat a road was closed to traffic as a result of another fire. In nearby Kibbutz Nahal Oz, fires were ablaze and two storage sheds caught fire. In Petah Tikva, three flats in an apartment building also caught fire. No casualties were reported in any of the incidents.
The Israel Meteorological Service said that the winds sweeping the country were hitting up to 80 kilometers/hour.
The stifling heat was expected to break in the late afternoon, with temperatures hitting 35 degrees Celsius in Tel Aviv, 32 in Jerusalem and 40 in Beersheba.
Also as a result of the heatwave, a pollution warning was issued, and people with heart or lung problems, babies, pregnant women and the elderly were advised to stay indoors as much as possible.
Magen David Adom also advised drinking plenty of water and fluids to avoid dehydration.
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