None

40 °C

The army closed off the area.
The area around the explosion was completely searched to ensure that there was no further danger, and the situation was under control (according to the General Imad al-Khamaysseh statement on television).

No casualties were reported at the base, which is located in an uninhabited area.

Zarqa governorate, which has a population of about 1.5 million, has witnessed several explosions in past years, mainly caused by old munitions and fires in warehouses. It is also home to many factories and a free trade zone.

The rising global temperatures can destabilise the components of munitions, particularly where explosives aren’t adequately stored. Extended exposure to extreme temperatures and humidity can lead a munition to become unstable and even self-destruct.
In these conditions, heated explosive materials can force their way through seals and filler plugs, typically the shell casing’s weakest points. The leaked explosives can react with air impurities to form dangerously volatile crystals on the exterior, capable of exploding with friction or motion.

Appropriate storage conditions should be considered at munition depots exposed to high ambient temperature and humidity.
This is driven by the fact that intense heat can undermine munitions’ structural integrity, instigate the thermal expansion of explosive chemicals, and damage protective shields.

Past Natech accidents suggest that blasts at munition depots typically coincide with heatwaves, underscoring the direct impact of extreme heat on munition stability (e.g., a series of unplanned explosions at munitions sites in Iraq have occurred amidst long, scorching summers with temperatures often exceeding 45 degrees Celsius, 113 degrees Fahrenheit).