Israel broils under heat wave, breaks record for electricity usage

Tel Aviv [Israel], August 14 (ANI/TPS): Israelis continued sweltering under a heat wave on Monday, breaking records for electricity usage. The extreme temperatures were blamed for the death of a soldier during a training exercise, the suspension of some flights at Ben Gurion International Airport, and significant agricultural damage.
Temperatures as high as 41 degrees Celsius were recorded in areas of the Jordan Valley and Lower Galilee.
Noga, a government-owned company that leads the development, operation and management of the country’s electricity system, said on Monday that Israelis used 15,690 megawatts at 2:53 p.m. on Sunday, smashing a record set on July 25 by more than 300 megawatts. Noga noted that in both instances, half of the electricity usage was for air conditioners.
Heat exhaustion and dehydration were viewed as the apparent reasons for the death of a soldier during a training exercise on Monday morning. At around 4 am, a commander spotted Corporal Hillel Nehemiah Ofen lying motionless during a crawling exercise and began administering treatment. Emergency medical personnel were unable to resuscitate Ofen.
The Israel Defense Forces are probing the cause of death, with initial reports pointing to dehydration and heat exhaustion. The IDF said that all outdoor exercises had been stopped due to the heat until 10 pm on Sunday. However, when temperatures fell overnight, some outdoor training resumed. All exercises have been halted until Wednesday at 5 am
Meanwhile, the Israel Airports Authority announced on Monday that flights landing at Ben Gurion International Airport would be temporarily suspended “due to the weather conditions and its effect on technical systems in the control units, and in order to maintain flight safety.” Travellers were urged to check with their airlines for updates on their flights.
The heat also took a toll on agriculture. According to the Natural Damage Insurance Fund, better known by its Hebrew acronym, KNT, farmers will suffer 20 million shekels (USD 5.34 million). The KNT said it received notifications of the deaths of tens of thousands of hens and heat damage to crops. The KNT singled out apples and mango, which are in the process of being picked. KNT also noted particular damage to watermelon, pepper, corn, tomatoes and cotton.
Moshav Margaliot, which is located along the Israel-Lebanon border, reported to KNT that 10,000 chickens died in one day.
Jalal Ashkar, Director of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera said that while everyone needs to take precautions, people with pre-existing medical conditions can be particularly vulnerable to extreme heat.
“Exposure to extremely high temperatures can cause an aggravation of existing diseases and/or health problems, sometimes to the point of disability and premature death, for example, respiratory morbidity,” Ashkar said.
The doctor added, “While the temperature outside is high, the blood vessels in the skin plane expand, which causes more blood flow to them – for sweating that cools the body. As a result, less blood flows to the vital internal organs, such as the heart, liver, kidneys, brain, etc., which may cause severe damage to the functioning of these internal organs, a significant increase in body temperature, loss of consciousness and even death.”
He advised people to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, remain indoors or at least in shaded areas, and drink enough to prevent dehydration. (ANI/TPS)