Luxor4u

Egyptian seaports and aviation have been negatively impacted by high-speed winds and low-visibility sand storm.

Egypt’s Red Sea Ports Authority on Friday shut four ports due to high-speed winds and sandstorms that swept several provinces, especially in coastal areas.

The Egypt Meteorological Authority (EMA) says they prefer fishermen and motorists not engage in many outdoor activities under the low-visibility dusty skies, whose wind induces 3-metre high sea waves.

The EMA registered wind speed at 35 kilometres per hour and forecasts that the weather will better by sunset on Friday.

Temperature in Cairo on Friday records a moderate 26 Celsius (78 F) during the day, although it feels warmer due to the 35 percent humidity. By night it is expected to cool to 22 Celsius (71 F).

Over Egypt's coastal provinces and vital waterway, the Suez Canal, maximum temperatures range between 21 - 27 Celsius, however minimum temperatures forecast are 19 - 20 Celsius.

While moderate in the north, Egypt's southern provinces in Upper Egypt are experiencing a heat wave with daytime highs of 34 Celsius (93 F) in Luxor, expected to plunge to 22 Celsius by nightfall.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/67457.aspx

It dumped itself on us too yesterday! We had very heavy skies then it got really windy with some rain a little after lunchtime, which continued until well after midnight here in Cyprus.

Still a bit breezy this morning but at least we can see blue skies with some fluffy white clouds!

And it came over us as well, about one hour after spending two hours cleaning all the ash up from mount Vesuvius next door. I find it impossible to appease the Gods of late.

Now I can see the hills for the first time in two days, they are slowly appearing.

It is a law of nature that when there is a sand storm - the cleaner has just left.

We had a hell of a journey back from the Red Sea yesterday, we took the Qift Road & it was lovely & clear at Wadi Hammamat but the wind was getting up, shortly after it really hit & from then on the sand blowing on the road plus the headwinds made for a very long, rather slow journey. We always take turns on the driving on long drives but by the end of an hour I felt my eyes were out on stalks trying to peer into the sand, it felt like driving in fog, something I always used to hate in the UK!