Heavy rain brought much of Cairo to a standstill on Tuesday, and causing EgyptAir to delay flights after passengers were unable to reach the airport.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly also announced on Tuesday night that schools and universities in the Greater Cairo area have been given the day off on Wednesday, as more rain is expected.

EgyptAir flights from Cairo airport were delayed after heavy rain prevented many passengers from arriving on time.

"The airline has decided to delay the departure of some flights due to the heavy rains, until the arrival of the maximum amount of passengers booked for these flights, to preserve the rights of our customers," the company said in a statement.

The heavy rain in Tuesday afternoon caused widespread traffic jams in the city, particularly in the Heliopolis district where the airport is located.

Some passengers were stuck for several hours due to flooded streets.

Cairo governorate authorities deployed several vacuum trucks to clear the roads.

The Cairo Traffic Authority said it was coordinating with Egypt's Meteorological Authority to provide road alternatives and organizing the closure of some roads to prevent accidents due to heavy fog.

On Sunday the Egyptian Meteorological Authority had warned that there would be a spell of unstable weather across the country from Monday to Friday.