Rainfall channels 15m cubic metres of water into dams

By Bahaa Al Deen Al Nawas - Oct 27,2015 - Last updated at Oct 27,2015

Medical students at the University of Jordan huddle under their white coats on Monday (Photo by Osama Aqarbeh)

AMMAN — Around 15 million cubic metres (mcm) of water was channelled into the Kingdom's dams since the depression started affecting the country on Sunday, Jordan Valley Authority (JVA) Secretary General Saad Abu Hammour said Tuesday.

"The quantity is very good and came early compared to previous years," Abu Hammour told The Jordan Times over the phone, adding that the Mujib, Waleh and Tannour dams received the largest amount of water during the depression.

The JVA secretary general said the total amount of water stored in all the dams in the Kingdoms, whose total capacity is 325mcm, currently stands at 132mcm.

The depression will continue affecting the Kingdom until Friday morning when rainfall will cease as temperatures are expected to slightly increase, Raed Rafid, head of the Jordan Meteorological Department's (JMD) forecasting division, told The Jordan Times over the phone, adding that chances of rainfall will decrease on Thursday.

In Amman, temperatures on Wednesday are forecast to range between 11°C and 19°C, while they will be between 17°C and 26°C in Aqaba, according to the JMD.

Rafid warned motorists of low visibility due to fog formation in hilly areas until the end of the depression, which brought heavy rain accompanied by hail and thunderstorms, causing flashfloods and several road accidents.

In Tafileh's Hassa District, Civil Defence Department personnel evacuated 20 homes located near areas were floods formed as a precaution, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported on Tuesday.

The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has said it is still on alert until the effect of the depression eases off and urged the public to call 06/5359970 or 06/5359971 in case of emergencies.

In Aqaba, maritime movement returned to normal on Monday, after warnings issued by the Jordan Maritime Authority (JMA) to vessels on Sunday due to the prevailing weather conditions.

On Sunday there were strong winds on the shores of Aqaba that reached a speed of 45 knots (some 65 kilometres per hour), requiring the JMA to issue warnings, the authority’s director, Salah Abu Afifeh, told The Jordan Times on Monday.

Wind speeds exceeding 25 to 30 knots (some 46 to 55 kilometres per hour) are considered dangerous for maritime movement.

Rate