Cold air mass to bring rain this week — meteorologist

AMMAN — The country will be affected on Monday by a relatively cold air mass which will bring rain and below-average temperatures, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said on Sunday.

Temperatures on Monday are forecast to drop three degrees below their annual average during this time of year of 20°C, a JMD meteorologist said.

The weather will be relatively cold in mountainous areas and fair in the rest of the country, the meteorologist said, adding that winds will be westerly moderate to brisk, and high temperatures will be 17°C, dropping to 8°C at night in the capital.

The impact of the relatively cold air mass is expected to continue on Tuesday, when the weather will become cloudy, with light rain expected in the western parts of the country, said the weather forecaster, who requested anonymity.

Temperatures on Tuesday will be 17°C during the day and 10°C at night in Amman, and winds will be westerly to northwesterly moderate to brisk.

Cloudy weather will continue on Wednesday, when it will be relatively cold with light rain forecast in the northern and central regions, according to the meteorologist.

Winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk, raising dust in the badia, and temperatures will range between a high of 16°C and a low of 9°C in Amman.

Unstable weather and relatively cold air masses affect the country during spring, which started on March 21 in the northern hemisphere.

Spring in Jordan also marks the start of the khamsini season.

The name is derived from “khamsin” — meaning 50 in Arabic — because it usually occurs during a 50-day time frame, from March 21 through May 10. Khamsini weather conditions affect the eastern part of the Mediterranean an average of once a week during this period, according to the JMD.

The hot, sand-laden winds, originating from the Atlas Mountains in north Africa, annually move east of the Mediterranean Sea around this time of year, and are usually preceded by unseasonably high temperatures and dry and dusty conditions.