Jordan Nature Is Very Different

The major characteristic of the climate is the contrast between a relatively rainy season from November to April and very dry weather for the rest of the year. With hot, dry, uniform summers and cool, variable winters during which practically all of the precipitation occurs, the country has a Mediterranean-style climate. In general, the farther inland from the Mediterranean Sea a given part of the country lies, the greater are the seasonal contrasts in temperature and the less rainfall. Atmospheric pressures during the summer months are relatively uniform, whereas the winter months bring a succession of marked low pressure areas and accompanying cold fronts. These cyclonic disturbances generally move eastward from over the Mediterranean Sea several times a month and result in sporadic precipitation.

Most of the East Bank receives less than twelve centimeters of rain a year and may be classified as a dry desert or steppe region. Where the ground rises to form the highlands east of the Jordan Valley, precipitation increases to around thirty centimeters in the south and fifty or more centimeters in the north. The Jordan Valley, lying in the lee of high ground on the West Bank, forms a narrow climatic zone that annually receives up to thirty centimeters of rain in the northern reaches; rain dwindles to less than twelve centimeters at the head of the Dead Sea.

The country's long summer reaches a peak during August. January is usually the coolest month. The fairly wide ranges of temperature during a twenty-four-hour period are greatest during the summer months and have a tendency to increase with higher elevation and distance from the Mediterranean seacoast. Daytime temperatures during the summer months frequently exceed 36°C and average about 32°C. In contrast, the winter months--November to April--bring moderately cool and sometimes cold weather, averaging about 13°C. Except in the rift depression, frost is fairly common during the winter, and it occasionally snows in Amman.

For a month or so before and after the summer dry season, hot, dry air from the desert, drawn by low pressure, produces strong winds from the south or southeast that sometimes reach gale force. Known in the Middle East by various names, including the khamsin, this dry, sirocco-style wind is usually accompanied by great dust clouds. Its onset is heralded by a hazy sky, a falling barometer, and a drop in relative humidity to about 10 percent. Within a few hours there may be a 10°C to 15°C rise in temperature. These windstorms ordinarily last a day or so, cause much discomfort, and destroy crops by desiccating them.

The shammal, another wind of some significance, comes from the north or northwest, generally at intervals between June and September. Remarkably steady during daytime hours but becoming a breeze at night, the shammal may blow for as long as nine days out of ten and then repeat the process. It originates as a dry continental mass of polar air that is warmed as it passes over the Eurasian landmass. The dryness allows intense heating of the earth's surface by the sun, resulting in high daytime temperatures that moderate after sunset.                        Countrystudies

Jordan can be divided into three physiographic regions, each with a distinct climate

1- The highlands comprise mountainous and hilly regions that run through Jordan from north to south. Several valleys and riverbeds intersect the highlands, such as Wadi Mujib, Wadi Musa, Wadi Hassa and Wadi Zarqa, all of which eventually flow into the Jordan River, the Rift Valley or the Dead Sea. The highlands are by no means uniform. Their altitude varies from 600 to 1600 meters (1969 - 5249 feet) above sea level, and the climate, although generally wet and cool, also varies from one area to another. It is in the highlands that we find the major remains of ancient civilizations in the cities of Jerash, Petra, Philadelphia (Amman), Madaba, Gadara (Umm Qais) Karak. And for much of the same reasons--abundance of water and strategic location--the highlands are the most densely populated areas today, encompassing most of the major cities of Jordan. Fruit trees, vegetables and cereals are planted in the highlands. The average temperature in Amman ranges from 8.1 degrees Celsius (46.6 Fahrenheit) in January to 25.1 degrees (77.2 Fahrenheit) in July.

2- West of the highlands is the Jordan Rift Valley, which also runs along the entire length of Jordan. The Rift Valley plunges to over 400 meters (1312 feet) below sea level at the Dead Sea, becoming the lowest spot on earth, and reaches a minimum width of 15 kilometers (9.3 miles). The Rift Valley encompasses the Jordan Valley (the Ghor in Arabic), the Dead Sea, Wadi Araba and Aqaba. The Rift Valley is rich in water resources, including thermal mineral water. A recreational spa, complete with luxury hotel, offers therapeutic treatment at Zarqa Ma’in, a deep gorge close to the Dead Sea with over 60 mineral springs. The valley is rich in agricultural land and is warm throughout the year. Apart from accommodating its largely farming population, the Rift Valley becomes the seasonal home for some bedou. The Rift Valley ends in the south at Aqaba, a tropical resort surrounded by mountains. Aqaba enjoys a warm, sunny climate throughout the year and is a tourist destination sporting some of the world’s most spectacular underwater life. The people of Aqaba have traditionally specialized in international trade. Aqaba is a regional port, and Jordan’s only maritime outlet. Average temperatures in Aqaba range from 15.6 degrees Celsius (60.1 Fahrenheit) in January to 32.5 degrees Celsius (90.5 Fahrenheit) in July.

3- The desert region in east Jordan is an extension of the Arabian Desert, and forms nearly two-thirds of the country. Not a true desert--there is low rainfall--it is rather a semi-arid, steppe-like region in which small plants survive in winter and spring. This region is home to the bedou of Jordan, the traditional sheep and goat herders who provide meat for the rest of the country. There is an extreme variation in the climate of the desert between day and night, and between summer and winter. Summer temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), while winter nights can be bitterly cold, dry and windy.                                    Southtravels
 

Jordan Weather Forecast

1- Jordan Weather Website

3- To check the current weather condition of Jordan please click here.