Jordan in full gear to face unprecedented heat wave

Jordan said Monday that it was taking all necessary measures to face the unprecedented heat wave which caused power cuts countrywide and the closure of several major highways.

The country's electricity grid load reached 3,280 megawatts Monday, the highest since the country was established, Farouq Hiari, Energy and Mineral Resources Regulatory Commission Chief Commissioner said in a statement to the press Monday.

The heat wave, which began disturbing Jordan Sunday, increased temperatures in some areas of the energy-poor country to over 45 degrees Celsius, according to officials.

Due to the unprecedented increase in electricity demand, a fire erupted Sunday in a major power generation unit in Amman which caused power cuts in various parts of the capital, said Hiari.

"Work is underway to address the power cuts and we are in full gear to face the heat wave. A few cables melted due to the heat but we are working on repairing the situation," he said.

Power cuts gridlocked over 30 traffic lights, leading to traffic jams in various parts of the country, according to the Greater Amman Municipality, which resorted to spraying the streets of the capital with water trucks amid rising temperatures.

The heat wave was coupled with a sandstorm and closed several main highways especially in the south of the country. It even interrupted several flights.

"Some flights were delayed due to dusty weather. Others landed in Israel as visibility was nil," an employee at the Queen Alia International Airport told Xinhua Monday.