World Heatwave Breaks 50°C as Israel Warms Toward Possible "Sharav"

Israel is expected to see a gradual rise in temperatures this week, with a possible sharav developing toward next weekend, as extreme heat breaks records across large parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

According to the Israel Meteorological Service, the first half of the week will remain close to seasonal averages for early June. Conditions are expected to stay relatively stable, with no major heatwave at first.

The change is expected in the second half of the week, when temperatures will begin climbing above the seasonal norm. By next weekend, forecasters say there is a real chance of sharav conditions developing in parts of the country.

The main weather system currently shaping conditions in Israel is the seasonal trough, commonly known as the Persian trough. The system is already influencing the region and is helping keep the weather relatively stable for now, preventing especially hot air masses from pushing fully into the area.

Throughout the summer, shifts in the position and strength of the Persian trough will largely determine Israel’s heat levels and the severity of heat stress across the country.

While Israel’s weather remains relatively moderate for the start of the week, the global picture is far more extreme.

Meteorological officials reported that the past week brought exceptional and record-breaking heat across large parts of the Northern Hemisphere. Thousands of weather stations around the world recorded new May temperature records, including in Africa, Europe and wide areas of Asia.

The most extreme figures were measured in 10 cities across Kuwait, Iran and Pakistan, where temperatures climbed above 50°C. Many other cities across Asia came close to that threshold, with readings just below 50°C.

The data points to an especially intense opening to the hot season, with parts of Asia already experiencing temperatures usually associated with the harshest peak of summer.

For Israel, the immediate forecast is less dramatic, but the broader regional and global trend remains clear: summer has arrived fast, and in some parts of the world, it has arrived with dangerous force.