Heavy rain closes schools and roads in Jordan

Authorities shut main road leading to port city of Aqaba as water levels rise

A still from state television footage shows a flooded road near Aqaba port in Jordan. Photo: Al Mamlaka TV

Authorities in Jordan closed roads and schools in the south and east of the kingdom on Sunday as heavy rain swept the area and disrupted the movement of container lorries at the port of Aqaba.

The country has seen significant rainfall over the past two weeks, which was welcomed by farmers after a dry winter season.

Official television said that schools were ordered to close in the southern governorates of Petra and Tafila, as well as in the eastern region of Azraq.

Civil Defence personnel evacuated 50 homes and three public schools in Azraq, and rescued seven people whose cars were trapped in water and mud.

Hassan Al Jubour, the governor in charge of the Azraq region, said the closures were ordered “to preserve the safety of students as water levels rose in more than one area and in the wadis”.

In Aqaba, Jordan's only port, water swept roads and stopped the movement of container lorries “for several hours” on Saturday, television reports said.

A main road leading to the city, which runs along the border with Israel, was also closed because of the heavy rain.

Falling rocks and landslides prompted the closure of several side roads in the area, the traffic department said.