Israel was hit by a Sharav, hot dry desert wind spells, which carried heaps of sand from northern Africa into the Israeli atmosphere making it difficult to be outdoors. The Environment Ministry urged pregnant women, young children, those with respiratory problems and the elderly to remain indoors. Medical services have received twice as many complaints from people having difficulty breathing. All ships were ordered out of the Haifa port and into the Mediterranean Sea so the 7 meter high waves could not push the ships into each other. Israel’s smaller airports were closed and Ben Gurion International Airport had its planes redirected. The dust and haze are expected to turn into showers Thursday afternoon.