Local

AMMAN — The Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) said on Sunday it has put its vehicles at the disposal of the authorities to deal with emergencies under the current weather conditions.

JPMC Chief Executive Officer Shafiq Ashqar said the company instructed mine directors in Shidieh and Abyad to prepare vehicles and coordinate with administrative governors and operations room established in governorate centres and districts, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Ashqar said the decision is part of the company’s social responsibility to help in reopening roads in case of snow accumulations.

AMMAN – The Jordanian Electric Power Company (JEPCO) has in place an emergency plan that will ensure early response to electricity-related calls, officials at the company said on Sunday. 

As a depression currently affecting the Kingdom is expected to deepen on Monday, JEPCO announced the highest level of alarm starting Saturday evening, said Raed Khashman, who is in charge of JEPCO's call centre, on Sunday. 

"We have five centralised operation centres in Amman and three in Salt, Madaba and Zarqa in order to deal with any call we receive during the current weather conditions," he told The Jordan Times over the phone. 

Khashman noted that JEPCO has prepared response facilities in other governorates and has secured bulldozers to open roads for maintenance teams in case they were blocked by the snow. 

JEPCO covers Amman, Zarqa, Madaba and Balqa governorates.

Ali Hadid, president of the Electricity Workers Union, said around 1,700 workers, employees and management staff will be deployed to work during the expected blizzard this week. 

"We are cooperating with the management to provide the emergency workers with safety gear," he told The Jordan Times.  

The syndicate official said the positive development in this year's emergency plan is that the work process is decentralised so that fixing electricity breakdowns would take less time than it used to in previous years. 

"We have also moved meters to safer places so that they are not flooded by water," he added. 

A total of 250 electricity metres in the capital have been changed after they were damaged in heavy rainfall late last year, according to the company. 

AMMAN — The Central Traffic Department (CTD) on Sunday urged the public to stay at home and restrict their movements to emergencies to avoid blocking roads and enable emergency vehicles to help people in need.

“We urge the public to adhere to warning announcements by officials, especially those related to icy roads, which make it extremely difficult and dangerous to drive,” CTD Director Col. Basem Kharabsheh said.

The traffic official told The Jordan Times that motorists are encouraged to heed “the advice and instructions given by our officers who will be stationed on the Kingdom’s highways”.

“We urge people to abide by our advice to avoid certain roads that we know are closed and to ask us for information on road conditions, either by approaching our officers or calling 911,” Kharabsheh said.

The official said traffic might be diverted in some areas, especially tunnels, “because water might flood these areas and block them”.

“Our priority is to help the public, ensure safety on the roads and coordinate with the relevant authorities to open streets... so that motorists are not stuck,” Kharabsheh stressed.

Asked if the government will impose a curfew during the expected snowstorm, he said “this procedure will be considered when and if needed by the government”.

“If the situation is extremely dangerous and ice on the roads threatens people’s lives, then the government might take action like it did last year,” Kharabsheh explained.

The traffic official said the department will continue with its policy “of seizing vehicle and driver licences if motorists do not adhere to our instructions and stay off the roads when we ask them to”. 

The government enforced curfews at certain hours to avoid road accidents during a blizzard dubbed “Huda” that hit the country in early January 2015.

Officials handling the 911 Command and Control Centre told The Jordan Times in a recent interview that the number of traffic accidents doubled during the snowstorm.

Last February, 350 vehicles were towed by the CTD because they blocked traffic on the capital’s streets during the snowstorm.

Over 90 per cent of these vehicles broke down or were not equipped to drive in this tough weather, traffic officials said at the time.

Last January, despite repeated calls by authorities for motorists to stay at home, three people were killed and 541 road accidents occurred in the capital during the snowstorm.

Meanwhile, Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said the police will issue hourly bulletins to update the public on the weather conditions and the situation of roads.

People can contact 911 for any inquires related to emergencies or urgent updates, Kharabsheh said. 

AMMAN — Three people died and nine others were injured on Sunday in various incidents across the Kingdom, according to the Civil Defence Department (CDD). A tent fire in Disi killed two children.

Aqaba CDD personnel extinguished the fire, and an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the fire. In another incident, a man was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital after his vehicle overturned in Jerash, the CDD said. On the Airport Road, nine people were injured in a four-vehicle collision.

West Amman CDD personnel administered first aid and took the injured to Bashir Hospital, where they were listed in fair condition.

AMMAN — The Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) on Sunday urged the public to take precautions when travelling during the snowstorm and leave their houses four or five hours before departure time.

Zahia Nasan, QAIA’s corporate communications director, said the weather conditions in the area of the airport differ from the conditions in the capital and its surroundings. 

She added the departure and arrival time of flights are still on schedule, yet, passengers should keep checking with their airlines and stay updated on the weather situation.

“We will inform passengers in case of updates on flights times, yet, for now, there are no changes on flight times,” she told The Jordan Times. 

“It depends on the possibility and ease of taking off and departing,” Nasan added.

“Snowstorm varies in intensity, but in all cases we advise people to leave their houses early and drive carefully on the road to arrive safely and catch their flights — safety comes first.”

Earlier this week, weather forecasters from the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) and Arabiaweather.com advised citizens to check weather updates by official sites to keep up with changes as they occur. 

The JMD expected temperatures in Amman to range during the depression between 2°C and 5°C during the day, and a drop between -2°C and 0°C during night hours.

AMMAN — With colder polar winds expected to prevail on Monday, bringing heavy rain, hail and snow, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) has announced a state of maximum alert to deal with weather-related emergencies, according to officials.

Very cold weather is forecast for Monday, when snow is expected on elevations of 800m above sea level and higher, according to Raed Rafed, head of the weather forecast section at the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

"Snow will fall and accumulate tomorrow [Monday] during the day on areas located 800m above sea level and by nighttime, it will fall on areas as low as 700 metres above sea level. The thickness of snow will depend on the altitude of each location," Rafed told The Jordan Times.

Temperatures during the day will be 5ºC, dropping by nightfall to 0ºC in the capital, while winds will be northwesterly, with strong gusts, the JMD said.

Another slight drop in mercury levels is forecast for Tuesday, when rain and snow are expected to continue.

"Rain will become heavy at times on Tuesday, while snow is expected on elevations of 700m above sea level and higher. In addition, the desert is also expected to witness snow showers," Rafed noted.

Temperatures will range between a maximum of 4ºC and a minimum of -1ºC in Amman, while winds will be northwesterly moderate to brisk.

"The impact of the depression and the cold polar front, which started affecting the country on Saturday, is expected to ease off by Wednesday night, when freezing temperatures, frost and ice formation are expected," Rafed noted.

Snow showers is forecast in the desert on Wednesday, while very cold, partly cloudy and rainy weather is expected across the country, according to the JMD, which said that winds at night will turn from northwesterly to northeasterly moderate.

The JMD urged people to exercise maximum caution, warning that flood formation in low-lying areas and snow accumulation are forecast, in addition to strong winds, reduced road visibility due to heavy fog, rain and snow, slippery roads and freezing temperatures.

Meanwhile, GAM said on Sunday that 5,000 municipal staff are currently on stand-by and will be working around-the-clock during this week.

"The municipal staff will constantly check the state of the manholes to prevent the flooding of streets and tunnels. In addition, a winter fleet of 140 vehicles is also on stand-by including snowploughs, bulldozers and tow-away trucks," GAM Spokesperson Izzedin Shammout told The Jordan Times.

GAM has also authorised district managers to rent private trucks and bulldozers, but stipulated that the rented private vehicles must carry plates indicating that they are hired by the municipality.

"The step seeks to prevent the exploitation of the public," Shamout noted.

He said the public can call GAM for any weather emergency on 06/5359970 or 06/5359971.

"People are also urged to stay indoors and avoid venturing out during snowfall to allow the municipality's vehicles to work efficiently on opening the roads," Shammout added.  

AMMAN — Public Sector Development Minister Khleef Al Khawaldeh on Sunday said the ministry is now assessing the performance of government partnership councils with the private sector, which aims at improving institutionalised work mechanisms.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, the minister added that a detailed assessment report will be submitted to the Council of Ministers in March. In December 2014, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour directed ministries to activate their partnership councils with the private sector to include professional associations and concerned civil society organisations to suggest solutions to the challenges facing the sector and review relevant laws.

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday attended the ceremony to change and raise the Great Arab Revolt's flag in Aqaba, marking the beginning of the Kingdom's celebrations of the Revolt's centenary, a Royal Court statement said.

The celebrations were held in Aqaba as the first centre of command for the Revolt when its armies entered with the help of Jordanian tribes in 1917, according to the statement. 

Upon the arrival of His Majesty, the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) troops played the national anthem and raised the flag. 

The Monarch afterwards toured the house of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, which became an archaeological museum in 1973, and he was briefed on the items showcased. 

The ceremony was held in the Great Arab Revolt Square, which has the second highest mast in the Kingdom, after the pole at the Royal Hashemite Court, with a height of 127m. 

This year, many popular and official activities will held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Revolt against Ottoman rule, led by Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, the fourth ancestor of King Abdullah. 

The ceremony was attended by Their Royal Highnesses Prince Feisal; Prince Hashem; Prince Ghazi, the King’s personal envoy and adviser for religious and cultural affairs; and Prince Rashid, along with senior officials and top brass. 

Under Royal directives to celebrate the revolt throughout 2016, the Cabinet formed a higher committee to prepare for the centenary’s festivities. 

Also on Saturday, His Majesty, the Supreme Commander of the JAF, attended a naval exercise in Aqaba, according to the Royal Court. 

King’s Military Adviser and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff Gen. Mashal Al Zaben and HRH Prince Feisal received the Monarch, who attended a joint exercise performed by the Royal Naval Force and the Joint Special Operations, with the participation of helicopters from the Prince Hashem Bin Abdullah Brigade from the special aviation operations. 

During the drill, attended by Royal family members and senior officials and officers, the King commended the advanced skills of the naval forces and special operations forces. 

Moreover, the King, accompanied by Zaben, opened JAF chalets in Aqaba and toured their facilities. 

AMMAN — Border Guards on Saturday killed 12 infiltrators and injured others as they attempted to cross from Syria into Jordan, a Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army (JAF) source said.

Surveillance troops on the northern front line spotted 36 persons, some carrying arms and others unidentified items, trying to cross into the Kingdom from war-hit Syria, the army source said.

The troops immediately dealt with the situation in accordance with the rules of engagement as soon as they detected the infiltrators, the source was quoted in a JAF statement as saying.

The source added that 2,145,000 narcotic pills were found and handed over to concerned agencies. 

During the past months, border surveillance troops have detected, and arrested or killed a number of infiltrators, mostly narcotics smugglers and suspected terrorists.

The army has repeatedly stressed that it would deal with any attempts to cross the border, in any direction, and schemes to harm Jordan and Jordanians with the necessary force.

AMMAN — The impact of a depression and cold polar front currently affecting Jordan is forecast to deepen on Sunday, when strong winds, heavy rain and snowfall are expected, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

Meanwhile, the Civil Defence Department (CDD) has formed mobile teams to reach people in need more quickly during the polar front, while the Central Traffic Department said a plan is already in place to prevent accidents on snowy and icy roads.

The Trade Ministry also stressed that enough gas, kerosene, food and other staples will be available throughout the week, urging consumers not to buy more than they need.

The polar front and the depression will also cause temperatures to drop during this week 7^oC to 9ºC below their annual average of 13ºC at this time of the year, while nighttime temperatures will dip below zero, according to the JMD.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected, especially in the northern and central regions, while snowfall on elevations of 1,000m above sea level is expected on Sunday. By nighttime, snow will fall on areas 900m above sea level and higher.

Brisk westerly to northwesterly winds with speeds reaching 60-70 kilometres per hour are forecast, and daytime temperatures will be 6ºC, dropping to 2ºC at night in Amman.

Colder polar winds are expected to blow on Monday, with snow expected to fall on areas located 700-800m above sea level.

Another slight drop in temperatures is expected on Tuesday, with snow expected to fall on areas 700m above sea level and higher.

The CDD mobile teams will be ready to cope with any road closures, especially tunnels in all governorates, the department said, while traffic police officers have been deployed at tunnel entrances and major intersections to divert traffic in case of flooding.

The Trade Ministry said the flour supply for bakeries has been increased, since demand has doubled and more bread is consumed before and during snowstorms.

The ministry also signed an agreement with the Gas Stations Owners Association, JoPetrol Gas Company, and the Energy Ministry to provide gas stations with more fuel and kerosene for the week.