‘Hot air mass to push temperatures up this week’

AMMAN — The country will remain under the impact of a hot air mass for the rest of this week, with temperatures expected to rise three to four degrees above their annual average for this time of the year, a meteorologist said on Monday.

The hot and dry air mass is accompanied by the expansion of a seasonal depression and originates from the Arabian Peninsula, Raed Rafed, a weather forecaster at the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD), said.

Hot and dry weather is expected to prevail during this week, when winds will be northwesterly to northeasterly moderate to brisk at times, Rafed added.

“Daytime temperatures in Amman will range between 34°C and 36°C this week, thus mercury levels will be two to four degrees above their annual average of 32°C during this time of the year,” Rafed told The Jordan Times.

The impact of the hot and dry air mass started on Monday, with temperatures forecast to start dropping back to their annual average early next week, according to the meteorologist.

Rafed said the current hot spell is not categorised as a heatwave, explaining that the JMD announces a heatwave when temperatures soar five degrees above their annual average for a period of more than three days.

On Tuesday, the weather will be hot with northwesterly moderate to brisk winds in the afternoon, while temperatures in the capital will reach a high of 34°C during the day and drop to a low of 20°C at night, according to the JMD.

A slight rise in temperatures is forecast on Wednesday as the impact of the hot and dry air mass continues, Rafed said, noting that winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk in the afternoon and mercury levels will range between a maximum of 35°C and a minimum of 21°C in Amman.

A further increase in temperatures is expected on Thursday, and the weather will be hot with northeasterly to northwesterly moderate to brisk winds at times, raising dust in the badia region, according to the JMD. 

Temperatures will reach a high of 36°C during the day and drop to a low of 22°C at night, Rafed said, noting that mercury levels will drop slightly on Friday to 35°C.