Snow, hail forecast for Sunday — JMD

AMMAN — Snow, hail, heavy rainfall and very cold weather are forecast for Sunday, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD), which said temperatures will go below zero in several parts of the country.

Frost formation is expected in the early hours of Sunday and last until the afternoon, when it will become very cloudy, with heavy rainfall expected across the Kingdom, JMD Director General Mohammad Samawi told The Jordan Times Saturday.

Mercury levels in the capital will reach a high of 3°C during the day, dropping to a low of -3°C to -4°C at night.

"Snow is expected in hilly areas across Jordan on Sunday, especially in the central and southern regions," he added.

Frost formation is also expected on Monday, which will make driving on icy roads "very dangerous", Samawi said, warning against driving in such weather conditions.

A polar front accompanied by a depression that started affecting the country last Tuesday, brought rainfall and snow across the Kingdom, according to the meteorologist.

The highest snowfall accumulation (75 centimetres) was registered in Ras Munif, followed by Shobak and the southern areas of the country that witnessed between 40-50 centimetres of snow, he said.

Salt and the northern suburbs of the capital, including Jubeiha and Sweileh, registered 25-35 centimetres of snow, Samawi added.

Temperatures are expected to rise slightly Monday afternoon, but it will continue to be very cold, he said.

On Saturday, the media office of the Public Security Department (PSD) said all major roads in the capital were open as of noon and that work was under way to open side streets. 

In the country's northern region, most roads were open except for the Nueimeh-Ajloun highway, the Sakeb road and Thaghret Asfour, which were all partially open, according to the PSD.

In the central region all roads were open, said the statement, which added that in the south, roads were also open except for streets leading to Petra where motorists should be very cautious when driving.