The Egyptian Ministry of Environment has advised the elderly, respiratory disease patients, and children countrywide to stay indoors on Thursday and Friday due to poor air quality.

The ministry's Early Warning System Department said on Thursday the calm winds, reaching dormancy at times, will cause the concentration of pollutants in the air and a decrease in vertical ventilation.

"I advise the elderly, children, and people with chest and respiratory diseases to avoid open-air spaces during these two days," the Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad said.

The weather is expected to improve starting Saturday, the ministry's statement read, noting the phenomenon is expected to recur throughout the fall season.

On Tuesday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) said a heatwave was forecast across the country from Wednesday to Friday.

According to the EMA, the rise in temperatures was caused by a high-pressure area in the upper atmosphere layers, which is expected to continue until mid-October.

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