Sand storms have hit several cities across Egypt, lowering visibility and disrupting travel.
Low visibility on the Alexandria-Salloum highway has caused several trucks to pull over to the side of the road, slowing down the movement of cargo and passengers from and to Libya.
Construction work on hotels being built on the northern coast also came to a stop due to sand storms. Several shops closed their doors until the weather improves.
The raging winds also led to the closure of the Alexandria and Nuweiba ports and four ports in Suez.
Port Said was hit by heavy rainfall and sand storms for half an hour this morning. The speed of the wind reached 25 knots per hour and the sea’s waves rose to more than three meters, forcing fishing activities to halt.
A source from the Suez Canal Authority said ships were prevented from entering the port.
Shanty homes in Zerzara– an informally built area–were damaged by the rain.
Nineteen people were injured in Suez this morning when a tourist bus overturned due to low visibility caused by fog and sand storms. The injured passengers were transported to the Suez Public Hospital.
In Damietta, heavy rain flooded the streets, rising to half a meter in some areas.
Similar weather conditions were also reported in Cairo.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
