'Snow forecast in southern heights, rain in capital'

AMMAN — Snowfall is expected in the southern region on Thursday night, but it will not disrupt resident's daily lives, a meteorologist said on Wednesday.

Unstable weather conditions are forecast to start affecting the Kingdom on Thursday night and continue until Saturday, according to Ayman Suboh from the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

Suboh stressed that the weather conditions will not be as severe as the major polar front that hit the Kingdom last month and brought a three-day snowstorm that paralysed life in the country for around a week.

"The Kingdom's southern and eastern regions will be the most affected this time," he told The Jordan Times, adding that rain, hail and thunder storms are expected at night.

Suboh said snowfall is forecast in hilly areas in the south such as Tafileh, 180km southwest of Amman, and the Sharah Mountains in Maan, some 220km south of the capital, with an altitude of over 1,700 metres above sea level .

"The capital will only receive rain, starting from Thursday and lasting until Saturday morning," he noted.

The meteorologist said southeasterly winds are expected to raise dust in desert areas, calling on motorists to exercise caution.

The JMD also warned of flood formation in valleys and low-lying areas, especially in the eastern and southern regions, and of frost formation in the early morning and late at night around the Kingdom, particularly in the northern Jordan Valley.

Temperatures in Amman are forecast to reach a high of 10°C on Thursday. A slight drop in mercury levels is expected on Friday, with an expected maximum of 9°C, according to Suboh, who added that temperatures will rise to 11°C on Saturday.

Rain, hail and thunder are expected in Aqaba on Thursday with northerly moderate to brisk winds and temperatures ranging between a high of 19°C and a low of 10°C.