Heavy rain drenches south; moderate conditions forecast for rest of week

AMMAN — The unstable weather conditions that began on Monday night and continued through Tuesday brought heavy rainfall to the southern parts of the Kingdom, especially to Aqaba.

On Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Education suspended classes in Aqaba and Petra in light of the weather conditions, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) also posted a video on its Facebook page on Tuesday morning showing snowfall in Shobak in Maan Governorate, as well as videos of rainfall in Karak, Petra and Salt.

Aqaba Governor Ghassan Al Kayed on Monday evening raised the state of emergency to the maximum level in the governorate in light of inclement weather forecast, urging the public to avoid areas prone to flash-floods.

In the evening, the central and northern parts of the Kingdom and Amman witnessed heavy rainfall.

Also on Tuesday, the emergency centre affiliated with the Petra Development and Tourism Region Authority announced that the Wadi Araba road had been closed due to increased water levels and dislodging of rocks caused by rainfall intensity, Petra reported.

The authority cautioned the public to avoid the road until it is cleared by authorities.

The JMD forecast a slight increase in temperatures on Wednesday with a chance of light rainfall early in the morning, while over the weekend, the department forecast a rise in mercury levels, bringing moderate weather around the Kingdom and warm conditions in the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea and Aqaba.

Temperatures in Amman on Wednesday are forecast to range between 13ºC and 4ºC, while on Thursday they are expected to reach a high of 17ºC and a low of 7ºC.

In Aqaba, temperatures are forecast to reach a high of 21ºC and a low of 8ºC on Wednesday, while on Thursday temperatures will be between 26 ºC and 14ºC, according to the JMD.