AMMAN: A flash flood in southern Jordan killed an elderly man on Saturday as torrential rains and heavy snowfall swept the desert country, trapping 300 people who had to be rescued, officials said.

The kingdom's civil defence office reported "the death of a citizen in his 70s who was swept away by floods in Maan province, around 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Amman).

Civil defence spokesman Farid al-Shara said the man's body had been recovered and warned people to stay away from low-lying areas to "avoid any recurrence of such incidents."

Rescue teams reached 300 people trapped by heavy snow in the south of the country, a separate statement quoted by official news agency Petra said, reporting torrential rains in several regions over the past two days.

"Rescue teams saved nearly 300 people trapped by snow and floods, and saw they were taken to a safe place," it said.

The main road linking the southern port city of Aqaba to the Dead Sea was closed because of the extreme weather, a security official said.

Torrential rains swept through Jordan and the entire region last month, sparking widespread flooding and traffic chaos.