More Thundery Rain Is Forecast Over the Red Sea Until Monday, Days After Friday's Floods

Light to moderate rain, thundery at times, is forecast over parts of the Red Sea Governorate from Saturday 10 October to Monday 12 October, according to Youm7, citing the Egyptian Meteorological Authority — days after Friday's storm flooded streets in Hurghada and cut power in El Quseir.

Dr Manar Ghanem, a forecaster at the authority's Forecasting and Early Warning Centre, told Youm7 the rain is being driven by the Sudan seasonal low — also known as the Red Sea low — together with a low pressure system in the upper layers of the atmosphere. She said the chances are concentrated over areas of mountainous terrain:

• areas of the Red Sea Governorate
• central and southern Sinai
• parts of central and southern Upper Egypt

Ghanem warned of thunder clouds accompanied by strong wind activity beneath them, and of the danger of lightning strikes, particularly in mountainous areas and places exposed to thundery rain. The authority's weekly bulletin, which runs from Saturday 10 October to Wednesday 14 October, puts the rain over the Red Sea Governorate at intermittent intervals from Saturday to Monday, with wind activity at times across most of the country.

The bulletin published no town-by-town breakdown for the coast and no expected rainfall amounts. The temperature tables issued with it cover Greater Cairo, the Delta, the north coast and northern Upper Egypt — not Hurghada or Marsa Alam.

For residents, the timing matters: Friday's rain was enough to flood streets in Hurghada and knock out power in El Quseir, and crews were still pumping water clear on Saturday. Another thundery spell would land on roads that have only just been cleared. Visitors heading into the mountains or desert on excursions should reckon with wind and lightning. Ghanem said autumn is marked by rapid, sharp changes in the weather and advised following the authority's daily bulletins.