JERUSALEM (JTA) — Hot, dry winds in Israel felled trees and power lines, and sparked fires across the country.
The wind from the Sahara Desert that spread across Israel Monday hit speeds of 50 miles per hour.
Fires were reported in Petach Tikvah, where an apartment building burned; Kibbutz Nahal Oz in the south; El Ad, near Petach Tikvah; and Kfar Chabad.
Power outages affected Sderot, Tel Aviv and Bat Yam.
The air hanging over the country is full of sand, as well as air pollution, causing respiratory problems in young children, those with heart problems and the elderly.
