| These are the pink locusts. Hide the grasshoppers! |
Swarms of locusts originating in North Africa invaded Israeli territory and on Friday afternoon crowded the skies of the southern city of Eilat. Later Friday evening, locusts were also spotted along the coast in Tel Aviv, Netanya and Ashdod, Army Radio reported. The swarms, which came from the Sinai peninsula and were heading further northwards, reached heights of two to three meters over Eilat and were estimated to be in the tens of thousands. Locusts are inactive during the night, which permits the delaying of the decision overnight. Weather forecasts indicate that winds will be blowing in from Cyprus toward Israel, raising concerns that more locusts may arrive over the weekend. The last locust plague to hit Israel was in 1959, followed by a smaller incident in 1961. |