2015 forecast to start on wet note — meteorologist

AMMAN — The country will be affected by a relatively cold and wet air mass on Thursday that is expected to bring rain and thunderstorms, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The cold air mass is forecast to bring down temperatures to around their annual average of 13°C during this time of year, while the northern region will witness rainfall on Thursday and Friday that will move to the central and southern regions on Saturday, JMD meteorologist Laila Shaheen said on Wednesday.

The department warned the public of possible frost formation between Wednesday and Saturday in the badia and mountainous areas, especially in the south, where nighttime temperature will drop to near and below zero.

Clouds will start to form on Thursday night, especially in the northern region, which will witness light rain, while winds will be westerly moderate to brisk, Shaheen added, noting that temperatures in the capital will range between 16°C and 4°C.

A further drop in temperatures is forecast for Friday, when the weather will be relatively cold and cloudy in the northern and central regions of the Kingdom, with chances of scattered rain in the north, the meteorologist said.

Temperatures in Amman will reach a high of 12°C during the day, dropping to a low of 5°C at night, and winds will be southwesterly moderate.

“On Saturday, the weather will be partly cloudy and rainy in the northern region. The central and southern regions will gradually witness rain accompanied by thunderstorms,” Shaheen told The Jordan Times.

Winds will be southerly moderate to brisk at times and temperatures in Amman will be 10°C during the day and 5°C at night, she said.

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation expressed hope that the country would receive sufficient rain during winter, which started on December 22.

The winter solstice also marked the start of marbaniyeh in Jordan — the 40 coldest days of winter, during which the country typically witnesses several depressions, very cold weather, cold and dry easterly winds and several frost spells.

The Kingdom usually gets 30 per cent of its long-term annual average rainfall of 8.3 billion cubic metres during marbaniyeh, Water Ministry Spokesperson Omar Salameh said on Wednesday, adding that the major dams now hold 40 per cent of their total capacity of 325 million cubic metres of water.

Noting that the rainfall has been “good” so far, Salameh said several areas, including the Jordan Valley, have received 50 per cent of the annual average rainfall.