It has been pouring down with rain, non-stop, for the past few hours in Jordan. Thunder and hail accompanied the rain in many parts of the Kingdom.

Despite that being a huge blessing for the water-scarce country, the heavy rainfall has brought with it semi-floods and major traffic jams.

The authorities have warned drivers against unnecessarily driving in the rain, and have advised them to steer clear of floodwaters and areas that could be easily flooded.

Marked in red on this map are the roads and areas that experienced the heaviest congestion due to the rain today.

Meanwhile, some of the roads in Irbid, north of Jordan, experienced heavier rain than the capital.

This photograph shows a small lorry that got half drowned in floodwaters.

Also in Irbid, the Civil Defense forces rescued 1,000 factory workers who were surrounded by water. 

In Ramtha, several houses raided by floodwaters were evacuated, while several electricity poles fell to the ground.

Last night, the Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) declared a Level 2 state of emergency due to the heavy rain.

GAM said that they have available five large water-suction motors ready for use on tunnels and bridges should they need to.

If you have any queries or an emergency, contact GAM immediately on 06-5359971 or on 06-5359970.