Heavy rains cause severe flooding in southern Egypt

Aswan City and other areas in southern Egypt experienced heavy rain and severe flooding, some of it historic, on August 8 and 9, 2024. According to experts, the rains were seasonal and caused by a northward shift in the rain belt.

Aswan City in Upper Egypt faced heavy rainfall on August 9 resulting in severe flooding after the rainwater had collected in the Red Sea mountains and flown down into the valleys.

Aswan’s irrigation officials had to open the flood channels to absorb the water and prevent flooding in the villages and mountainous areas of Abu al-Rish, al-Seel, and east of the city, where accumulated rainwater threatened to inundate homes.

The unstable weather was accompanied by dusty storms leading to the suspension of Nile navigation.

Temperatures and humidity levels remain high, intensifying the heat throughout all regions, despite the rain in the southern part of the country.

The rains were seasonal and were caused by the northward shift of the rain belt, according to Dr. Mohamed Ali Fahim, Head of the Climate Information Center at the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.

Summer rains have historically occurred in the south of the Red Sea, this year’s prolonged duration and appearance in unusual areas, even if lightly, are unprecedented, added Fahim.

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References:

¹ Upper Egypt’s Aswan struck by heavy rains – Egypt Today -August 10, 2024

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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