New cold wave hits Egypt, heavy rains expected

CAIRO – 11 December 2018: Meteorological experts warned that Egypt will be facing a new cold wave on Tuesday, December 11.

West coasts are expected to witness stable weather during day, but extremely cold weather at night. Low and medium clouds will appear accompanied by heavy rainfall on the northwestern coasts, according to experts.

Thick fog will affect visibility during the morning, as wind will be accompanied with sand and dust.

Navigation in the Mediterranean might see unrest; fishing boats will remain alarmed as several incidents took place in Alexandria during the past week and some boats reportedly drowned.

For expected temperature degrees on Tuesday, Cairo is expected to see highs of 21°C and lows of 15°C; Alexandria will record 21°C during the day and 11 at night. In Upper Egypt, Qena will record 22°C during the day and 10°C at night and Aswan will reach 10 °C during night.

During the past week, Egypt witnessed heavy rains and stormy winds. The government has announced that it is fully prepared for the upcoming winter season, heightening necessary measures to combat expected floods and prevent any relevant problems of accumulated rainwater in the streets.

The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has worked on finishing the preparations for winter rains and downpours by carrying out a plan to check the pumping stations, clear canals, water banks and storm drains. Mohamed Abdel Aati, an official in the ministry, said in October that the preparation plan included maintenance of all pumping stations nationwide to be ready for sudden rains.

The ministry installed more than 25 emergency units in West Delta near the critical areas to avoid the recurrence of the 2015 floods.