Authorities on alert as hot air mass, dusty weather continue

AMMAN — Temperatures around the Kingdom soared above 40°C on Sunday, reaching 42°C in the capital, with light showers and dust storms reported in other areas as the impact of a very hot air mass continued.

The hot air mass, which is accompanied by a seasonal depression originating from the Indian subcontinent, started affecting the country on Saturday and is expected to continue this week until at least Thursday.

Light rain was reported in Tafileh, Qatraneh, Karak and Zarqa's Duleil areas on Sunday between 4pm and 6pm as a result of unstable weather conditions currently affecting the Kingdom, the Jordan Metrological Department (JMD) said.

Southeastern and eastern areas in Jordan witnessed dust storms and low visibility, according to the JMD, which caused flight delays at Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) and some diversions, according to QAIA and Royal Jordanian.

With the same conditions expected on Monday, the JMD said temperatures in Amman are forecast to reach 41°C. Weather conditions are expected to improve at night.

The Public Security Department on Sunday called on motorists to exercise caution while driving, and in case of emergency, to call 911.

With the rise in temperatures, the load on the national power grid reached 3,185 megawatts (MW) on Sunday, up from 2,840MW registered in the same period last year.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, said the load reached its peak at 1:30pm, describing it as unprecedented. 

Ameen Zaghal, director of planning and production at the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), said the generation capacity of NEPCO stands at 3,200MW and that the company is able to provide an additional 800MW.

Authorities on Sunday reiterated warnings against prolonged sun exposure during the hottest hours of the day, with the Labour Ministry calling on employers to provide a safe work environment for their employees, especially those who work directly under sunlight.

Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez urged citizens and tourists to observe safety measures and called on the public to visit closed tourist places like museums, hotels and tourist restaurants. 

In the capital, Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) employees sprayed water from tankers in several streets of the capital, particularly in downtown Amman, as part of measures to ease the effects of the heatwave affecting the Kingdom.

GAM sanitation workers also distributed water bottles to pedestrians between 11am and 3pm.

Gendarmerie Department personnel also distributed bottled water to motorists and pedestrians in the Kingdom’s governorates.