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Rain, snow forecast for weekend

Authorities 'fully prepared' to deal with polar front

By Sara Arar - Jan 17,2018 - Last updated at Jan 17,2018

The Greater Amman Municipality said that it is 'fully prepared' to deal with the expected inclement weather conditions forecast for the weekend (Photo courtesy of GAM)

AMMAN — The Kingdom will be affected by a polar air mass on Friday accompanied by depression centred over the northwest of Syria with temperatures in the capital expected to reach 9ºC during the day and 1ºC at night, according to the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD).

Director of Weather Forecast at the JMD Raed Rafid told The Jordan Times that temperatures are expected to start dropping on Thursday accompanied by rainfall. 

The forecaster said that during the late hours of Thursday the polar front will start affecting the country with heavy rainfall in the northern regions, later spreading to central regions and later at night spreading to all parts of the Kingdom. The rain will be accompanied by lightning, thunder and hail, with the likelihood of flooding, he added.

The meteorologist also said that after midnight snowfall will occur on mountainous areas that are 1,000 metres above sea level.

Rafid said that the Kingdom will remain under the polar front on Friday. The weather will be very cold, cloudy and rainy, added the forecaster. 

The rainfall will be heavy during the morning accompanied by lightning, thunder and hail with a chance of snowfall in the mountainous areas, and winds reaching 40-60 kilometres per hour, according to the meteorologist.

The snowfall will start to dissipate on Friday night, Rafid said.

Meanwhile, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) said in a statement to The Jordan Times that it has announced a state of emergency starting Thursday morning in preparation for the polar front that will affect the Kingdom until Saturday evening, according to the weather forecast.

In the statement GAM's deputy director for districts and environmental affairs Basem Tarawneh said that "all concerned GAM departments are fully prepared and ready to work in full capacity to deal with the expected repercussions of the depression".

He pointed out that GAM is ready to receive comments and inquiries on its emergency centre phone numbers: 06-5359970 or 06-5359971.

Director General of the Civil Defence Department (CDD) Maj. Gen. Mustafa Bazaiah stressed the importance of maintaining readiness, in terms of staff and equipment to deal with expected weather conditions, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

 

Health Ministry Spokesman Hatem Al Azrai said in a statement to The Jordan Times that the emergency operations centre at the ministry's crisis management unit will be operational 24 hours during the depression. He added that the public can directly contact the crisis unit director Mahmoud Kayed on 0797485846 for comments and inquiries.

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