Scorching 'Heat Dome' Overwhelms Middle East

JERUSALEM, Israel -- A high pressure system, called a "heat dome," hovering over much of the Middle East has made extremely high temperatures even harder to endure.

Israel isn't the only country sweltering in the extreme heat, with Iran and Iraq stifling under unusually hot temperatures even for the Middle East, which meteorologists refer to as a "heat dome."

With the thermometer hovering at 50 degrees Celsius or 122 degrees Fahrenheit, the Iraqi government called for a four-day public holiday.

In the Iranian city of Bandar Mahshahr, the heat index reached nearly 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit), prompting meteorologists to say it's the hottest temperatures ever endured by mankind.

AccuWeather meteorologist Anthony Saglia called it "one of the most incredible temperature observations" he'd ever seen and "one of the most extreme readings ever in the world."

The Iranian heat index was just slightly lower than a reading on July 8, 2008 in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia of 81 degrees Celsius or 178 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, massive sand storms in Jordan causing near "blackout conditions" prompted officials to reroute two Royal Jordanian Flights from Amman International Airport to Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion International Airport.

Jordan may divert other flights to Israel Monday afternoon if the situation isn't alleviated.