Full Breakdown
Record-Breaking Heat Wave Sweeps Israel, Forecasts Predict Continued Stress
7/21/2026, 8:01:06 AM
Core Event
Israel experienced its hottest day in nearly a year on Monday, June 28 2026, when the Sodom station near the southern Dead Sea recorded 44.7 °C (112.5 °F)—the highest temperature measured there since August 15 2025. The extreme heat persisted across the country, with temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F) in the southern Dead Sea region, the Arava Desert and Eilat. Forecasts indicate a brief cooling on Tuesday, followed by a resurgence of heat on Wednesday and an especially hot Thursday, before a modest relief is expected on Friday.
Background & Context
June had been relatively mild, but the Israel Meteorological Service warned that an “unseasonably hot” heat wave began on Sunday and would dominate the first half of the week. Long-range models project that the second half of July will remain warmer than average, with periods of “significantly” above-normal temperatures. The current episode follows a previous heat wave in August 2025, which set the prior record of 44.3 °C (111.7 °F) at the same station.
Data & Statistics
- Record temperature: 44.7 °C (112.5 °F) at Sodom station (southern Dead Sea) – highest since Aug 15 2025.
- Regional highs: 44.3 °C (111.7 °F) recorded a day earlier at the same station; 41 °C (106 °F) in Eilat.
- Humidity: 74 % in Ashkelon; 75 % in Nahariya and Tel Aviv, creating “very heavy heat stress” along the coastal plain and the Shfela.
- UV index: “very high to extreme” across most of the country.
- Heat stress categories: Extreme in the Sea of Galilee basin and along the Dead Sea; heavy in the southern Golan Heights, northern valleys, Lower Galilee, the Jordan Valley and the Arava.
Official Statements & Responses
The Israel Meteorological Service described the situation as a “heat wave … especially powerful during the first half of the week.” Director-General Dr. Amir Givati forecast that the heat wave will “persist next week at varying intensities,” with no immediate end in sight. The service also noted that temperatures will “ease slightly over the next two days before rising again on Wednesday,” and that “relief is expected Friday, when temperatures are forecast to fall back to seasonal averages and heat stress is expected to ease.”
On-the-Ground Reports
Meteorologists expect “hot and dry” conditions in the mountains and inland areas, while the coastal plain will remain “hot and humid.” Morning clouds are set to clear, giving way to “mostly sunny skies” inland and “clear to partly cloudy” conditions overnight. The combination of high temperatures, elevated humidity and extreme UV exposure is producing “very heavy heat stress” for residents, particularly along the Mediterranean coast.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All provided sources agree on the record temperature of 44.7 °C and the overall pattern of heat stress. No contradictory figures or alternative explanations appear in the available material.
Verbatim Quotes
- “A heat wave hit Israel on Sunday and will be especially powerful during the first half of the week, the Israel Meteorological Service warned.” — Israel Meteorological Service
- “5°F) at the Israel Meteorological Service’s Sodom station near the southern Dead Sea .” — Israel Meteorological Service
- “Humidity reached 74% in Ashkelon and 75% in both Nahariya and Tel Aviv during the afternoon, producing very heavy heat stress along the coastal plain and in the Shfela.” — Israel Meteorological Service
- “The maximum UV index will be very high to extreme.” — Israel Meteorological Service
What’s Next
Temperatures are expected to dip modestly on Tuesday, rise again on Wednesday, and peak Thursday with “unusually hot to heat-wave-like” conditions inland and “very high humidity” on the coast. Friday’s forecast calls for a return to “seasonal averages” and a reduction in heat stress, after which the service anticipates a continuation of above-average warmth through the latter half of July.
