Israel’s extreme heatwave, responsible for sparking several wildfires throughout the country, has reached a record-breaking peak of 49.9 degrees Celsius in Sodom, near the Dead Sea.
Wednesday’s temperature is the highest ever recorded since Israel was founded in 1948, and the second highest since national weather records began in the 1920s, according to the Israel Meteorological Service.
Also on rt.com Earth’s magnetic field, critical to all life, may be in danger from 'leaking core'The heatwave finally broke by nightfall, and meteorologists predict the country will return to seasonal temperatures by the weekend. However, the meteorological service said extreme heat is a result of global warming, and warned people to expect more record-breaking weather events in the not-so-distant future.
“Even though it is hard to attribute an isolated event to climate change, according to the best estimates, warming will continue so we expect an increase in the number of extreme heatwaves and a higher probability of breaking more temperature records,” said the service in a statement to Harretz.
Rescue services reportedly said at least 140 people were treated by emergency crews for heat-related symptoms throughout the day. Emergency services have also been battling several wildfires that broke out in Aderet, central Israel, sparking widespread evacuations