Relatively cold weather forecast for Friday

AMMAN — The impact of a relatively cold air mass is forecast to taper off on Friday, when the weather will be partly cloudy and chilly, the Jordan Meteorological Department (JMD) said on Thursday.

The air mass, which started affecting the Kingdom on Wednesday, brought temperatures back to around the annual average of 16°C for this time of the year, following days of sunny weather during which temperatures reached 23°C in the capital, according to the JMD.

Friday's weather will be relatively cold across the country and fair in the Jordan Valley and Aqaba, while winds will be westerly moderate, turning at nighttime to southwesterly moderate, according to the department, which said that temperatures in Amman will range between a high of 17°C, dropping to a low of 6°C at night.

A slight rise in temperature is forecast for Saturday, when the weather will be relatively cold in mountainous areas and fair in the rest of the Kingdom, according to the department, which expected temperatures to reach a maximum of 19°C and drop to a minimum of 7°C in the capital.

Fair weather is also forecast for Sunday, when winds will be northwesterly to northeasterly moderate, turning by nighttime to easterly slow. Temperatures will be 19°C during the day and 8°C at night in Amman, according to the JMD.

JMD meteorologist Raed Rafed said that despite the absence of rain recently, the country is still expected to receive rainfall as the wet season is not over yet.

"The wet season in Jordan ends in early May. With the onset of spring, the country starts witnessing khamasini depressions, which are usually coupled with unstable weather conditions that bring sufficient rain amounts," Rafed told The Jordan Times.   

The name khamasini is derived from khamsin — meaning 50 in Arabic — because it usually occurs during a 50-day time frame, from the end of March through May 10.

Khamasini weather conditions affect the eastern part of the Mediterranean at an average of once a week during the 50-day period.

The hot, sand-laden wind, originating from the Atlas Mountains in North Africa, annually moves east of the Mediterranean around this time of the year and is usually preceded by unseasonably high temperatures and dry and dusty conditions.