Equinox Brings Equal Day, Night As Jordan Enters Autumn

(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency)

Amman, Sept. 21 (Petra) -- Jordan will officially enter the autumn season on Monday, with the arrival of the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. On this day, the sun will shine directly over the equator, creating nearly equal lengths of day and night. Astronomically, autumn will continue until December 21, 2025, the date of the winter solstice.
Raed Al-Khattab, Director of the Jordan Meteorological Department, explained that while the equinox marks the official start of autumn, meteorologically, the season begins at the start of September. In Jordan, this transition often brings highly variable weather.
According to Al-Khattab, autumn in the Kingdom is known for its diverse climate patterns. The weather may shift between warm and sunny to cool and rainy due to atmospheric instability. Cold fronts can bring significant temperature drops, and frost may begin to form in higher elevations toward the end of the season. In rare cases, even snowfall has been observed in November.
He noted that in Amman, average autumn temperatures typically reach highs of 26.3 C and lows of 14.8 C. Rainfall during this season averages around 27.9 mm, accounting for about 11% of the city's total annual rainfall.
Historical weather data from the Jordanian Climate Bank reveals several remarkable extremes recorded during previous autumn seasons.
At Amman Civil Airport, the highest temperature ever recorded in autumn reached a scorching 43 C on September 3, 2020. In stark contrast, the coldest autumn night in the capital plunged to -3.2 C on November 24, 1958. The heaviest single-day rainfall in Amman occurred much earlier, with 79.4 mm recorded on November 7, 1938.
Looking beyond the capital, other significant weather records were observed across the country. Deir Alla experienced an exceptional high of 50.1 C on September 4, 2020 one of the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Jordan during autumn. Meanwhile, Shoubak saw the mercury drop to a chilling -11.2 C on November 17, 1978, marking one of the coldest autumn nights nationally.
In terms of rainfall, Ras Munif recorded the most substantial daily total with 114.6 mm on November 19, 2023, a striking example of the season's potential for heavy precipitation.
As Jordan moves into autumn, the Meteorological Department encourages the public to stay informed and prepared for sudden weather changes, which are a hallmark of the season.

MENAFN21092025000117011021ID1110089860