Israel braces for extremely hot weather; emergency services on high alert

Fire ban in effect for most of the country.

By ALON HOCHMON, JPOST.COM STAFF, JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH, KARINE ROZKOVSKY
Tel Aviv beach (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Tel Aviv beach
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Summer is here early. After temperatures rose Sunday, intense heat will hit most areas of the country. The mercury will reach 36 degrees Celcius degrees in Tel Aviv and 42 in Eilat.
Due to the risk of forest fires, Fire Service commissioner Shahar Ayalon signed an order on Sunday evening banning fires in public places in most of the country including in the Golan Heights, the Galil, the Mount Carmel area, the West Bank, and Jerusalem. 
"We are asking that the public to be alert in regard to forest fires and to call us as soon as fire or smoke is seen," a statement from the Fire Service read. 
Ahead of the heat wave, which is expected to continue through Tuesday, Magen David Adom EMS released guidelines on ways to stay cool and safe. MDA emphasized that small children and seniors are most vulnerable during extreme heat conditions.
Children face a high risk of fatality if left in cars during hot weather. Because infants’ and toddlers’ (and pets’) bodies are small, their body temperature is liable to rise quickly, even if a window is left slightly open.
Beterem, the national center for child safety and health, said that leaving a child under the age of six in a vehicle without supervision is a criminal offense for which violators may get a prison sentence.
The Health Ministry issued an advisory on Monday urging the public to keep out of the sun and drink a lot of water.
The elderly and babies should be especially protected from the elements, but people of all ages and medical conditions could suffer from dehydration if they are not careful, the ministry stated.
Don’t exert yourself unnecessarily, drink water even if you’re not thirsty and stay in air-conditioned places as much as possible.