After the deluge: Jordan wakes up to flood and hailstone chaos

The people of Jordan woke up on Monday to witness floods sweeping away crops and affecting roads, while large hailstones smashed into cars and windows in a chaotic scene.

Heavy overnight rain on Sunday in the southern and eastern parts of the country triggered flash floods which inundated large areas of farmland, forcing many people to leave their homes and find refuge in shelters.

One death was reported in the southern port city of Aqaba, while a 13-year-old boy has been reported missing in the eastern city of Zarqa.

The Public Security Directorate said that the search for the boy was continuing.

The capital Amman, nearby cities of Salt and Madaba, and the northern governorate of Irbid were battered by hailstones and rainfall early on Monday, causing widespread damage to property and vehicles.

The Jordan Meteorological Department said the thunderstorm was the result of atmospheric instability prevailing in the country.

Abdulmunem Al-Qaralleh, from JMD, said that the conditions had resulted from temperature variation in the atmosphere and the high level of humidity.

It was reported that melon farms in the Wadi Rum region in the south had been swept away by the floods.

The Jordan Valley Authority said that the Mujib Dam in the southern governorate of Karak had reached its full capacity, along with the Al-Wahidi and Al-Ahmar dams in the governorates of Maan and Tafilah.

Local media quoted Majid Smeirat, from the union of insurance companies, as saying that vehicle insurance does not cover damage caused by natural disasters.

Smeirat said: “In general, compulsory insurance for motor vehicles does not cover third-party losses arising from natural disasters unless there is a provision in the contract stipulating that, which is normally not the case in Jordan.”