AMMAN — Two people were killed in flash floods in Aqaba caused by heavy rain, while the southern part of the Amman-Aqaba highway was completely inaccessible due to the unstable weather conditions.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted a medical source in the port city as saying that a 10-year-old girl and a 55-year-old man were pronounced dead upon arrival at the emergency room of Princess Haya Military Hospital after the floods swept them into the sea.

A source at the Civil Defence Department (CDD) said that rescue teams were on high alert in Aqaba, around 330km south of the capital, after heavy rain flooded the Red Sea resort and the surrounding areas. 

There were several injuries, according to a CDD officer, who said a phosphate company vehicle overturned because of the weather and its driver was injured. There were no further details available by late Sunday evening.

Part of the Aqaba-Qweira road was closed because of mudslides, with police expecting the 50km section of the highway to be re-opened after 1:00am Monday.  

The dusty weather was blamed for a pileup involving eight vehicles on Aqaba highway around 90 kilometres south of Amman, police spokesman Lt. Col. Mohammad Khatib told The Jordan Times, adding that “there were mild injuries”. 

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported earlier that 21 people were injured in the accident.

Meanwhile, Royal Jordanian said there were no changes to flight schedules because of the weather. 

The unstable weather conditions, which began affecting the country on Saturday evening, are expected to continue through Monday, bringing showers and thunderstorms, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

Temperatures in Amman are expected to reach 26ºC on Monday, one degree below their annual average during this time of the year, while the rainy and cloudy weather is forecast to taper off on Tuesday, a JMD meteorologist told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

On Monday, it will be cloudy, with rain and thunder expected, added the weather official, who preferred to remain unnamed.

“Temperatures will range between a high of 26ºC and a low of 16ºC, while winds will be southeasterly to southwesterly and moderate to brisk, raising dust in the desert areas,” the forecaster said.

The unstable weather conditions are expected to end on Tuesday, with no change in temperatures. The weather will be fair in hilly areas and moderate in the rest of the country, with chances of light rain in the southern and eastern regions, according to the JMD.

“Winds will be southwesterly moderate to brisk, turning northwesterly in the afternoon,” the meteorologist said.