We are in the middle of quite a heat wave. Temperatures here on the top of Mount Carmel where we live are 30-33C (86-90F). The usage of electricity is reported to be at an all time high and with our limited reserve generating capacity, if the usage goes much higher we could expect some cuts here and there. It is said that the present heat wave will sidside by Friday. (they also said by Wednesday) but I am not sure which week they were talking about!!
We all have our own way of keeping cool in the heat. Instead of our usual excercise of walking on the Dado beach, http://www.tour-haifa.co.il/eng/modules/article/view.article.php/99/c24, we have taken to viisting one of the shopping malls and a brisk walk up, down and round three levels in the air-conditioned atmosphere for 45 mins keeps us in trim.
One of the big potential problems with these heat waves, just like anywhere else in the world, is fires. Here in Israel, however, and particularly in the Carmel National Park, http://www.parks.org.il/ParksENG/company_card.php3?CNumber=852573, we have had many instances of fires being started deliberately. This is not counting the 750,000 trees that went up in smoke during last summers barrage of Katushas from Lebanon.
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To help the fire fighting effort, it was reported today that Friends of Israeli Firefighters are donating 100 new quick response fire engines. These will be especially useful in rough ground and areas hit by rockets.
I am hoping the heat will wane a little tomorrow as following tonight's wedding in Abu Gosh we will be bringing two grandchildren back to Haifa for a bit of TLC and we hope to go cycling up near the Lebanese border. Let's pray for a little let up in the heat wave.
1 comment:
Thank you Stuart. It's really interesting to read about your daily lives and I appreciate the time you are prepared to put into this exercise. I appreciate the communications from ICAN, too and have occasionally sent extracts to one of our newspapers here in NZ in the hope they would open their eyes to what Israelis are going through and stop their one-eyed reporting! Most of their reports seem to be taken from The Telegraph Group, which is obviously not pro-Israel.
Keep up your good work. regards
Kate
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