Egyptian authorities suspended classes Monday due to severe weather in Cairo and other cities as a precautionary step.
Authorities also closed the ports of the Mediterranean city Alexandria, and the Suez Canal cities Port Said and Suez.
According to the country’s meteorological office, moderate to heavy rain is expected along the northern coast and in the Nile Delta area. The agency said that dusty storms could cause visibility problems in the country’s northern and southern regions. To avoid weather-related complications, the Environment Ministry urged elderly people and people with chest or respiratory diseases to stay home Monday.
The Health Ministry stated that it has increased the number of ambulance crews on roads and in remote areas as a precautionary measure for road accidents.
Moderate rains overnight have partially flooded streets in Cairo and other parts. Local media reported that snow fell over Alexandria, partially covering roads and rooftops in the coastal city.
Questions have been raised about Egypt’s ability to handle flooding, which often renders large parts of Cairo and other major cities inaccessible. Flooding and heavy rain have been deadly in the past, particularly in rural areas.
Poor maintenance and investment have caused infrastructure, sewage, and drainage systems to suffer. In recent years, it has been common to see trucks rushing to drain floodwaters. Last month, heavy rains and flooding drove scorpions out of their hiding places and forced them to move into many houses in Aswan’s southern province. The state-run media reported that three people had died and that over 500 others were being treated for scorpion bites in Aswan.
(This story is not edited by Devdiscourse staff.
