Depression forecast to bring heavy rain, thunder and hail

AMMAN — The country will be affected by a depression on Tuesday that is forecast to bring heavy rain and cause temperatures to drop well below the annual average during this time of the year, a meteorologist said on Monday.

The impact of the depression, centred over Cyprus, will start on Tuesday afternoon and cause mercury levels to plunge seven degrees below their annual average of 18ºC during this time of the year, according to Laila Shahin, a meteorologist at the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

“The weather will become cloudy, with rainfall starting in the northern and central regions, then moving gradually to the rest of the country,” Shahin told The Jordan Times.

The rain will become heavy on Tuesday night and be accompanied by thunder and hail, while winds will be westerly brisk, with gusts at times, she said.

Temperatures in the capital will reach a maximum 11ºC during the day, dropping to a minimum of 8ºC at night, according to the JMD.

The impact of the depression will continue on Wednesday, when the weather will be cold, cloudy and wet, Shahin added.

“The rainfall will sometimes turn into a downpour and be accompanied by thunder and hail,” she noted.

Winds will be westerly brisk, with temperatures in Amman ranging between a high of 11ºC and a low of 8ºC.

The weather will remain cold and cloudy on Thursday, with showers in the northern and central regions, as well as some areas of the eastern region.

Temperatures in the capital will reach 11ºC during the day, dropping to 7ºC at night, according to the JMD.

“The impact of the depression will start to ease off by Thursday night,” Shahin said.

Meanwhile, the Civil Defence Department (CDD) issued several warnings to the public.

“We caution motorists against slippery roads and low visibility on roads due to expected fog formation, especially in mountainous areas,” the CDD said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

In addition, the CDD called on residents of low-lying areas to relocate to avoid flash floods and urged people to avoid valleys.