Kingdom’s major dams receive boost as recent rainfall raises reserves to 68,503mcm

AMMAN — Recent rainfall has elevated water levels in 15 major dams in the Kingdom to 68,503 million cubic metres (mcm), according to The Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

During the past 24 hours, the country was impacted by a third-degree weather depression leading to heavy rain, Arabia Weather said on its website. Most parts of the Kingdom received heavy rain, it added.

“A total of 3,761 cubic metres of water entered the Kingdom’s dams during the past 24 hours following the recent rainfall events,” said the ministry’s Spokesperson Omar Salameh. 

Salameh added that the current reserve represents 23.78 per cent of the total capacity at Jordan’s dams, which amounts to 288,128mcm.

The highest percentage of stored rainwater was recorded in the Fidan Dam in Wadi Araba, amounting to 1,315mcm, reaching its highest storage capacity of 3,306mcm, he told The Jordan Times. 

The King Talal Dam was filled with 684,330 thousand cubic metres, currently holding approximately 37.3 per cent of its total capacity, followed by the Mujib Dam which currently holds 74 per cent of its total capacity.

The Ministry on Tuesday said that the recent rainfall has channelled sufficient amounts of water into dams. There has been an overflow in the Fidan Dam, which received the highest amount of rainfall; however the increased water level was immediately monitored and dealt with, the ministry noted.

Rain amounts of 137.4mm and 38.7mm, 37.4mm fell in Ajloun and Amman’s Tla Ali district and Mafraq respectively. The rainfall in Irbid amountedto 77mm, according to Arabia Weatherwebsite.