CAIRO: Sunday evening saw an unusual combination of weather conditions for this time of year in Cairo: a sand storm erupted at around 9:30 pm, accompanied by rain and lightning.
“Egypt experienced really high temperatures on Sunday which continued throughout the evening until late at night when it reached around 40?C.
Meanwhile, there was a sandstorm coming from the Western Desert in addition to a block of clouds.
“The combination of the three, plus a drop in air pressure, caused lightning and rain, Ali Kotb, a meteorologist at the Egyptian Meteorological Authority, told Daily News Egypt.
“[The storm] moved through Cairo quickly and headed in the direction of the Red Sea. The high temperature is expected to drop an average of four degrees Celsius over the next couple of days, he added.
The abrupt changes in weather took people by surprise.
“The weather was very scary in Sixth of October on Sunday night, said Sara Moussa, who lives in Sixth of October City on the outskirts of Cairo.
“Suddenly, at around 9:30 pm, a sand storm began and the sky turned yellow. It continued this way until around midnight.
“Usually, it’s not necessary to keep the air conditioner on at night, but it was so hot and humid that we had no other choice, she explained.
At the other end of the city, people experienced similar weather conditions.
“It all happened so quickly – at around 10 pm, all of a sudden there was rain and a sand storm, said Zeinab Abdoun, who was in Heliopolis at the time. “It started raining and there was absolutely no vision, which meant I couldn’t drive. But it passed quickly and everything went back to normal, though it was hotter.
There was nothing unusual about the weather Monday morning; it was relatively hot over the coastal areas with temperatures in Cairo measuring a high of 36?C of and a low of 23?C.
“It was windy Monday morning, but it later calmed down and there was a chilly breeze in Sixth of October, added Moussa.
Rumors have been going around that this summer will be one of the hottest Egypt has ever experienced, something the Egyptian Meteorological Authority rebuffs.
“No one can predict what the weather will be like for more than 10 days ahead, said Kotb.
“But it’s safe to say that there will be nothing out of the ordinary regarding the climate this summer. It’s going to be stable, not hotter than the previous summers in Egypt. The average is expected to be around 35- 38?C, he added.
