Sandstorm engulfs Cairo by Steph Ball
A severe sandstorm engulfed Cairo and other parts of Egypt during Tuesday, blanketing the area under a layer of orange dust.
The sandstorm reduced the visibility to less than 100 metres in places forcing the closure of Cairo’s International Airport for several hours, with five Egyptian ports in the Gulf of Suez also shutting down.
Some pilots had to land using night navigation equipment before the airport was forced to divert subsequent incoming flights, some to Sharm el-Sheikh.
The sandstorm affected traffic with a number of accidents reported, while residents, especially the elderly, suffered from breathing problems. The dust was said to have been so thick that it was impossible to see across the River Nile.
Two people were killed by a fire which was fanned by the strong winds. The fire swept through the village of Atalia engulfing several homes on its way.
Egypt is certainly not a stranger to sandstorms, where they are known as Khamaseen or the 50-day wind. A Khamaseen is said to be a hot and oppressive south to southeast wind which becomes dusty and laden with sand. As it descends on cities it deposits a layer of sand on buildings and cars.
Tuesday’s storm eased later in the day, but sandstorms are common in this region during spring, so more may follow.
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