Strong dust-laden winds limit visibility across Kingdom

AMMAN — Unstable weather conditions accompanied by “strong” easterly winds started affecting the Kingdom on Tuesday, according to a meteorologist.

Over the next 48 hours, the country will witness cloudy skies with a chance of showers and possible thunderstorms in some areas, including the Gulf of Aqaba, Omar Dajani, a forecaster at Arabiaweather.com told The Jordan Times.

“The strong winds will blow dust across the Kingdom, especially in the badia and the eastern region,” Dajani said, calling on motorists to exercise caution and drive their vehicles at reasonable speeds due to low visibility.

Royal Jordanian (RJ) on Tuesday diverted seven incoming flights to Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) to other airports in the region due to low visibility.

RJ Spokesperson Basil Kilani said in a statement that flights from Erbil, Istanbul, Cairo, Chicago, Jeddah and Paris landed at the King Hussein International Airport in Aqaba, while a flight from Dubai was diverted to Tel Aviv airport.

All aeroplanes and their passengers will return to QAIA once visibility improves to levels enabling safe landing, Kilani added, noting that Amman Civil Airport in Marka is closed as a result of dust.

Dajani also warned of the risk of flash floods, mainly in valleys and low-altitude areas.

“On Thursday and Friday, the speed of the easterly winds is forecast to decline and the unstable weather conditions are expected to ease off,” he noted.

Temperatures in Amman on Wednesday are expected to range between a high of 19°C during the day and a low of 10°C at night, according to a statement released by the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The maximum temperature in the capital on Thursday is forecast to reach 18°C, dropping to a low of 10°C at night, while Friday’s temperatures will range between 19°C and 12°C, the JMD said.

The Civil Defence Department (CDD) on Tuesday warned the public against the prevailing weather conditions, urging people to limit their movement on roads that witness dust storms, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The CDD also called for securing enough medicines for those who suffer from asthma and respiratory diseases, and urged people to stay away from valleys and possible flood areas.

The department called for fastening objects on rooftops as well as billboards to prevent them from being blown off by the strong winds, noting that the public can call 911 in case of emergencies, according to Petra.

In the capital, authorities said they finished the necessary preparations for winter. 

Amman Governor Khalid Abu Zeid told Petra that stakeholders in the capital have prepared a detailed emergency plan that includes the tasks and duties of all relevant institutions from the public and private sectors to deal with inclement weather conditions.

Later on Tuesday, the Public Security Department’s Aqaba branch and highway patrols closed the Wadi Araba road due to low visibility caused by dust, Petra reported.