Past 24 hours brought highest rate of rainfall this season — Water Ministry

AMMAN — The Ministry of Water and Irrigation said that the highest rate of rainfall this season was recorded over the past 24 hours, also noting that Jordan has received 106.5 per cent of its annual average of 8.1 billion cubic metres since the beginning of the season. 

This year’s rainfall constitutes 134 per cent of the total rainfall received last year, according to the ministry, which also noted that the recent rainfall covered most regions of the Kingdom.

Ajloun recorded the highest rainfall in the Kingdom over the last 24 hours, with locations in the governorate receiving 15.6 millimetres (mm) of rain. 

At this time last year, Jordan had only received 78.5 per cent of its annual rainfall average, the ministry reported.

Jordan’s dams received one million cubic metres, which raised storage to 121 million cubic metres, or 43 per cent of their total capacity of 280.759 million cubic metres, according to a statement by the ministry.

Sustainable Agriculture Association President, Waleed Al Qeshawi, said the northern Jordan Valley witnessed good rainfall over the past 24 hours.

“This is good news for farmers. This is promising, and we are happy to see dam storage increase,” he told The Jordan Times.

According to ministry’s monitoring stations, the volume of rainfall in Amman over the past 24 hours was an average of 3.7mm, Balqa 6.6mm, Madaba 4.8mm, Zarqa 1.5mm, Jerash 4.8mm, Mafraq 1.9mm, Irbid 4.7mm, Ajloun 12mm, Karak 3.4mm, Tafileh 5.6mm, Maan 2.1mm, and Aqaba 0.7mm.

The ratio of precipitation to the long-term average increased in most regions. In Aqaba Governorate, the ratio stood at 270.4 per cent, Maan Governorate at 200.2 per cent, Irbid 111.2 per cent, Zarqa 108.66 per cent, Mafraq 93.7 per cent, Salt 86.3 per cent, Amman 83.9 per cent, Ajloun 81.4 per cent, Jerash 55.7 per cent, Madaba 62.3 per cent, Karak 63.5 per cent, Tafileh 67.9 per cent and Shobak 56.7 per cent.