Slight rise in temperatures forecast for Saturday, Sunday

AMMAN — Twelve million cubic metres (mcm) of water entered the dams since the Kingdom was affected on Tuesday night by a depression and a cold front, forecast to taper off late Friday, officials said on Thursday.

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation said the country’s 10 major dams now hold 154mcm, constituting 47 per cent of their total capacity of 325mcm.

“The depression brought good amounts of rain to different parts of the country, channelling some 12mcm into the dams between Tuesday night and Thursday morning,” a source at the ministry told The Jordan Times.

In addition, the depression raised by over 30 per cent the rainfall recorded in the Kingdom this winter.

“Early this week we had received around 32 per cent of the long-term annual average of 8.3 billion cubic metres. Figures until Thursday morning show that the amount increased to 62.5 per cent, which is heart-warming since the country was about to announce a state of drought,” the official said.

More rainwater is expected to be channelled into the dams during the next two days, according to the ministry.

The country’s 10 major dams held 181mcm or 55.6 per cent of their total capacity of 325mcm during this time last year, whereas they stored around 34.5 per cent during this time in 2012.

A further drop in temperatures is expected on Friday, when the weather will be cold and cloudy, with heavy rain, thunder and hail expected during the day, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The depression and the cold air mass pushed temperatures well below their annual average of 17°C during this time of the year and also brought very good amounts of rain, a JMD meteorologist said.

“Snowfall is expected on Friday morning over the Sharah Mountains in the south. Temperatures will fall eight degrees below their annual average with a maximum of 9°C during the day and a minimum of 3°C at night in the capital,” the weather forecaster said.

The impact of the combined weather conditions is expected to ease off starting late Friday, when winds will turn from northwesterly brisk to moderate.

“We warn the public against flash floods, strong winds, flying objects and slippery roads, in addition to reduced road visibility due to possible fog formation,” the meteorologist added.

Temperatures on Saturday will witness a slight rise, but the weather will remain cold and partly cloudy. Temperatures in Amman will reach a high of 11°C, dropping to a low of 4°C, while winds will be northwesterly moderate, changing to northeasterly.

Another slight increase in mercury levels is forecast for Sunday, as temperatures rise to their annual average for this time of the year, the meteorologist said, noting that the weather will be fair.

Temperatures will range between 17°C and 6°C in the capital, with southeasterly moderate winds turning to southwesterly moderate to brisk in the afternoon and raising dust in desert areas, according to the JMD.