Heatwave to ease off Tuesday — meteorologist

AMMAN — The impact of a four-day heatwave is expected to abate as temperatures return to around their annual average of 32°C during this time of the year, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

The weather for the rest of this week will be fair with northwesterly moderate winds, while temperatures in the capital will range between a high of 33°C and a low of 20°C at night, Hussein Momani, director of the JMD’s National Weather Forecast Centre, said on Monday.

“A tangible drop in temperatures will be felt as of Tuesday, when this year’s first heatwave starts to ease off,” Momani told The Jordan Times.

The heatwave, which was caused by a dry and hot air mass originating from the Arabian Peninsula, started affecting the country on Friday and pushed temperatures seven degrees above their annual average for this time of year.

“The highest temperature was recorded on Saturday in Aqaba, where it reached 46°C. In Amman, the highest temperature was also recorded on Saturday, when it reached 39°,” Momani said.

The JMD announces a heatwave when temperatures soar above their annual average by five degrees for a period of more than three days.

The electricity load on the country’s power grid on Sunday registered a record high of 2,715 megawatts since summer began, according to the National Electric Power Company, which said that the load on the power grid is not expected to exceed maximum capacity during Ramadan unless the country witnesses hot spells like the recent heatwave.