A severe sandstorm on Sunday morning hit Qena governorate and the Red Sea cities of Ras Ghareb, Hurghada, Safaga and al-Qusair, causing low visibility and a rise in sea waves.
The Red Sea Ports Authority has not announced any decisions on the closure of Safaga and Hurghada ports, although small boats have stopped fishing due to the awful weather.
Air traffic at Hurghada airport has not been affected by the storm.
The traffic authorities in Hurghada instructed drivers to be careful on highways, recommending them to stop until the storm is over.
Qena also experienced bad weather after a dust storm and mist covered the sky on Sunday morning, especially on desert roads.
Qena Governor Abdel Hamid al-Haggan announced a state of emergency to cope with the weather, in anticipation of rainfall.
He pointed out that task forces have been formed in the nine localities of the governorate and linked to the governorate’s main task force to follow up on latest weather updates.
The poor weather caused a collision between two cars on the western desert road at Qena – Naga Hammadi, injuring five people.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
