Impact of depression expected to continue until Tuesday night

AMMAN — Unstable weather conditions that affected the Kingdom on Monday will be replaced by a depression centred over the south of Cyprus on Monday night, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The southern and eastern regions witnessed “good” amounts of rainfall in the early hours of Monday morning, Raed Rafed, head of the JMD’s forecasting division, told The Jordan Times.

“The Jafer area [in Maan Governorate] received 10 millimetres [mm] of rain within half an hour in the morning; while 6.3mm was registered between 8am and 12pm in Ruweished, 3mm in Mreighah and Aqaba and less than 0.5mm in Bakurah,” Rafed said.

Some areas in the northern governorates of Irbid and Jerash also witnessed heavy rainfall on Monday afternoon, he added, explaining that it is difficult to pinpoint which areas will receive rain during unstable weather conditions.

Arabiaweather.com said “heavy thunderstorms” in the south on Monday resulted in the formation of floods in Jafer and Disi. 

The impact of the depression is expected to continue on Tuesday and last until the night, according to a JMD statement sent to The Jordan Times.

“The weather is forecast to be relatively cold on Tuesday with heavy rain in several areas of the country that could be accompanied by lightning and thunder,” Rafed said, warning of the possibility of flood formation in valleys and low-lying areas. 

Temperatures in the capital will reach a high of 17°C during the day, dropping to a low of 10°C at night, while winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk raising dust in areas that witness no rainfall, the JMD statement said.

“There is still a chance of light showers in the northern and central regions in the early hours of Wednesday morning,” Rafed noted.

Mercury levels in Amman on Wednesday are expected to range between a maximum of 17°C and a minimum of 9°C, with some low-altitude clouds, according to the JMD statement.

The Civil Defence Department (CDD) issued a statement calling on the public to follow safety measures during the unstable weather, which include keeping away from valleys and low-lying areas to avoid drowning, and preventing children from leaving home in such conditions.

Houses and shops that are prone to flooding are advised to install water pumping devices, the CDD said.

The department also urged motorists to exercise caution when driving on highways, especially the desert highway, due to the possibility of low visibility caused by “heavy dust” formation.

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications and acting Minister of Education Mohammad Momani on Monday authorised education directors to take the decision on whether to suspend classes on Tuesday, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.  

Education Ministry Spokesperson Walid Jallad said the authorisation was renewed to ensure the safety of students and teachers under inclement weather conditions, provided that the decision is taken in coordination with the ministry’s operations room and the administrative governor, Petra added.