During the fall, areas in Sinai and others in the Red Sea Governorate (south-eastern Egypt) witnessed waves of heavy rain that caused torrential rains and led to water being washed away in some areas, amid repeated warnings of the repercussions of severe weather fluctuations. These developments raise questions about the possibility of Egypt being exposed to more severe waves of torrential rain during the winter, and the extent to which this is related to the climate changes the world is witnessing.
A week ago, the governorates of South Sinai and the Red Sea witnessed a wave of severe weather fluctuations and heavy rains that caused torrential torrential rains, amid an extension of the influence of the seasonal Red Sea depression.
Sudden flows of water in Wadi Watir, affiliated with the city of Nuweiba in South Sinai, caused a “cement mixer” car with three people on board to be swept away, resulting in the death of one of them and the injury of another, which raises questions about the possibility of its recurrence or intensification during the winter in light of climate change.
In this context, Dr. Ali Qutb, Professor of Climate at Zagazig University and former Vice President of the Meteorological Authority, said that the autumn season is usually characterized by sharp and rapid weather fluctuations, and witnesses instances of instability in the weather, especially in the governorates of southern Egypt, the Red Sea, and Sinai, where the chances of rain falling that may turn into torrents increase due to the geographical nature of these regions.
Qutb explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that “mountainous and high-altitude areas sometimes witness rainfall, the water of which collects and rushes due to gravity towards the valleys and low-lying areas, leading to the formation of torrents that may be fast and strong, even in areas that do not witness direct rainfall.” This happened during the recent waves of rain in Sinai, as torrential waters rushed toward areas in eastern Sinai, including the vicinity of the Gulf of Aqaba and Nuweiba, resulting in human losses.”
On the other hand, the nature of risks differs in coastal and flat areas, such as Alexandria, the North Coast, and Matrouh, according to Qutb, as these areas may witness heavy rains, but they do not necessarily turn into torrential torrents like those that occur in mountainous areas with rugged terrain, valleys, and slopes. The danger there is greater in the accumulation or accumulation of rainwater in the streets and low-lying areas, rather than in the rushing of large quantities of water through the valleys from high areas to low areas.
Regarding the possibility of Egypt being exposed to more severe waves of torrential rains during the winter, Qutb said that climate changes have contributed to increasing the extremes of some weather phenomena, whether in the form of severe heat waves or sharp drops in temperature, in addition to heavy rains that may cause torrential rains.
Qutb added that the country is currently witnessing a drop in temperatures, becoming lower than normal in some areas during this time of the year, coinciding with wind activity that increases the feeling of cold weather, in addition to the disruption of maritime navigation in the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez, and the continued chances of rain falling on the northern coasts and North Sinai.
Qutb explained that the chances of rainfall in areas of Upper Egypt, the Red Sea, and Sinai will remain during the remainder of the fall and winter, and may cause torrential rains. He pointed out that the fall season remains one of the periods that calls for greater caution, given the rapid fluctuations in weather conditions and the shifts between warm and cold waves.
Qutb linked these fluctuations to the exacerbation of climate phenomena, pointing to the “El Niño” phenomenon and its effects on global weather patterns, and the changes that may accompany it in temperature and rainfall rates in different regions of the world.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon that occurs as a result of higher than usual levels of water surface temperatures in parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean, and affects wind patterns, rain, and temperatures on a large scale in the world.
The call of the head of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate to boycott “defamation and violating meetings” carried out by some individuals was welcomed in the artistic and journalistic circles, and a number of journalists adopted the boycott decisions, and the artist Elham Shaheen praised them.
The head of the Egyptian Journalists Syndicate, Khaled El Balshy, called on Friday to boycott conferences and meetings that include defamation of individuals and delving into their private lives, touching on the responsibility of websites for circulating abuse, and the limits of press coverage of personal conflicts.
Al-Balshi called on journalists and editorial departments to refrain from covering these meetings, and not to grant the propagators of defamatory speeches media spaces that would contribute to expanding their spread. He expressed his concern about the tendency of some websites to cover conferences and meetings, especially for parties in judicial and societal disputes, dealing with cases pending before the judiciary and engaging in personal relationships.
This came against the backdrop of a press conference held by former Zamalek club president Mortada Mansour in front of his office, last Thursday, which included what was described as “abuses” against many public figures, including male and female artists, led by Elham Shaheen.
For her part, artist Elham Shaheen supported Al-Balshi’s call to boycott conferences and meetings that include defamation of individuals and violations of their privacy, confirming in a post she published on her Facebook page her support for the statement’s demand to refrain from covering these meetings.
Elham Shaheen filed a complaint against Mortada Mansour with the Supreme Council for Media Regulation against the backdrop of the violations committed against her in his statements.
Egyptian artist Mohamed Al-Helou passed the “danger stage” after doctors succeeded in saving him and installing five stents in his heart, in a Cairo hospital after his heart stopped twice.
The artist Mohamed Al-Helou's health crisis, which he recently suffered, caused a great uproar in the artistic community and among his fans and those who accompanied him.
Hamada Al-Helou revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that his father left the hospital on Sunday, and is currently staying at home, explaining that he is forbidden from smoking, from any effort, from appearing in the media, and from holding parties in the current period, in implementation of the instructions of the doctors who stressed that he should undergo complete rest for a long period.
