Jordan equipped with high-tech flashflood guidance system

AMMAN — Jordan is now equipped with a high-tech flashflood guidance system, which sends early warnings to authorities and the public on possible flashflood formation, officials said on Tuesday.

The new system provides information on areas where flashfloods are expected hours or days ahead via a satellite, radar, numerical weather predictions and rain measurements, the officials said.

Weather forecasters at the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) are currently receiving training on the system’s operation, according to JMD Director General Mohammad Samawi.

The Flash Flood Guidance System (FFGS) was developed by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in collaboration with the US National Weather Service, the US Hydrologic Research Centre and USAID Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance.

Ayhan Sayin, an expert from the WMO, indicated that flashfloods are one of the deadliest hydro-meteorological hazards in the world, citing statistics which show that more than 5,000 people are killed annually in flashfloods.

“Flashfloods are much more harmful than the flooding and inundation of rivers. The FFGS is the most state-of-the-art and advanced flashflood guidance tool available right now and it is used by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,” Sayin said at a training workshop on the FFGS for the Black Sea and the Middle East.

Samawi pointed out that the system seeks to prevent the loss of lives and mitigate the social, economic and environmental impact of flashfloods.

“Flashflood disasters that are associated with strong rainstorms are common and frequent in Jordan; they cause great damage to lives and infrastructure,” Samawi told The Jordan Times on the sidelines of the training workshop.

Jordan faces difficulties in predicting flashfloods, especially during convective systems that are characterised with heavy precipitation in short period of time, resulting in flashfloods in low-lying areas.

The lack of equipment and high resolution models are among the reasons for failing to forecast flashfloods in the Kingdom, Samawi said.

“Different early warning systems on flashfloods have been applied over the years in Jordan, such as in Petra and Aqaba, but they failed to meet the needs,” Samawi noted.

He indicated that given the Kingdom’s mountainous topography and climate, flashfloods are a frequent occurrence.

“Flashfloods in Jordan mainly happen between late September and November, as well as when seasons change, mainly from winter to spring and from summer to autumn,” Samawi said.

Flashfloods happen across the country, he said, but indicated that they are more frequent in the eastern region, Aqaba and parts of the Southern Badia, as well as mountainous areas in the central and northern parts of the country.

“We are pleased to be part of this project, which can identify which basins are prone to flashfloods based on different parameters, such as the amount of precipitation, soil type, soil moisture and topography,” Samawi said, noting that similar system can also help in more effective rainwater harvesting.

Within the scope of Global FFGS implementation, the WMO and its partners have implemented or are currently implementing the system in 52 countries throughout the world.

“We hope that by the end of this training course, our forecasters can effectively use the products of the FFGS to be able to prepare warning bulletins and disseminate timely, accurate weather forecasts and warnings,” Samawi said.