Flash Floods Possible in Hurghada, Safaga and El Quseir Into Saturday, Forecasters Warn

Egypt's Meteorological Authority has warned that flash floods are possible in parts of the Red Sea Governorate during the night hours and through Saturday, as thundery rain clouds continue to sit over the coast, according to Sada El-Balad.

The authority said the clouds are affecting areas of the governorate, Hurghada in particular, bringing rain of varying intensity. In a post on its official Facebook page late on Friday it named Hurghada, Safaga and El Quseir as the coastal towns under the cells, alongside southern Upper Egypt — Luxor and Qena — South Sinai and the Gulf of Aqaba.

Three cautions came with the warning:

• flash floods forming in some areas overnight and into Saturday
• lightning strikes accompanying the thundery clouds
• downdraft winds from beneath the clouds, strong enough to raise sand and dust in places

Twasl News reported water levels rising in the wadis of the Red Sea, though its report went no further than that. Ahram Gate reported the same thundery rain and lightning over Luxor, Qena, Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, and Veto put the flood risk within hours. The authority said it is continuing to track where rain falls and how heavy it is.

The warning follows Friday's storms on the same stretch of coast, when rain pooled in Hurghada streets and cut power in parts of the city for about half an hour, and El Quseir lost power earlier in the day with pumps clearing water from six parts of town.

None of the reports carried rainfall figures, road closures or advice to avoid any specific route, and no school or port closures have been announced. The operative warning is the authority's own: water in the wadis, lightning, and blowing sand where the gust front hits.