'Unstable weather conditions bring little rain'

AMMAN — It will be relatively cold on Wednesday due to prevailing unstable weather conditions, which started affecting the Kingdom on Monday, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).  

The unstable weather brought less than 1 millimetre of rain to several parts of the Kingdom over the past two days, JMD meteorologist Saed Taha said on Tuesday. 

“Areas like Ras Munif in Ajloun Governorate and Queen Alia International Airport witnessed rainfall,” Taha told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

He noted that these conditions will prevail on Wednesday, especially in the eastern region, with a possibility of scattered showers in the area. 

Temperatures in Amman are forecast to reach a high of 10°C and drop to a low of 1°C on Wednesday. 

Taha said frost formation is expected Wednesday night, but it will not affect commuters on Thursday morning.

However, he advised farmers to be careful as frost could damage their crops. 

The Agriculture Ministry asks farmers to take precautionary measures during frost spells to alleviate the impact of freezing temperatures on crops.

These measures include irrigating plants during the evening to raise soil temperatures by five degrees, closing down greenhouses early to store heat and lighting fires around crops to warm up the air. 

Meanwhile, Taha said the Kingdom would witness unstable weather again on Thursday, when temperatures in the capital are forecast to rise slightly, reaching a maximum of 11°C. 

In response to a question on the possibility of a strong depression affecting the Kingdom this month, the meteorologist said weather maps have not shown any indications so far. 

“But according to statistics for the past years, depressions might hit the Kingdom this month,” he said, noting that rainfall is expected until May. 

On Monday the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs organised prayers for rain around the country due to lack of precipitation during the current wet season.

Jordanians gathered in Amman and other cities on Monday afternoon to perform the Istisqaa prayer, a special Muslim prayer which has been practised since the time of Prophet Mohammad.

Since a snowstorm hit the Kingdom last December, the country has not received any substantial rainfall.