The powerful, hot and dry seasonal Khamsin winds coming the Sahara desert, carrying thousands of tons of sand towards Egypt and the Levant, have caused power outages in many areas in the New Valley Governorate on Wednesday evening, as electricity wires were destroyed. The low visibility caused by the winds also affected traffic in the area.
Many state facilities announced an emergency. Major General Nabil al-Ashry, head of the New Valley Security Directorate told Al-Masry Al-Youm that traffic police on highways were instructed to advise drivers to be cautious and continue their journey after the storms calm down.
Major General Mahmoud Ashmawy, the governor of the New Valley, formed a special task force to receive emergency calls and complaints.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
