Sandstorms are expected to start in some western areas on Wednesday and then spread to other places nationwide on Thursday and Friday, Manar Ghannam, a member of the media office at the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA), said in a phone interview with Channel One.

She attributed the turbulent weather to a depression coming from the Western Desert that will stir sand and dust and cause temperatures to hike nationwide.

Temperatures will reach 36 degrees Celsius in Cairo and 45 degrees in Upper Egypt, Mahmoud Shahin, director of the analysis department at the EMA, told Ahram Arabic news website.

Shahin urged citizens, especially those suffering from respiratory diseases, to avoid exposure to wind and sands during those days.

He also urged against parking cars or driving near billboards or trees when the winds are strong.

Due to the Khamasin spring winds, the hot spell was accompanied with strong winds and sandstorms in several parts of the country on Thursday, bringing down billboards and ripping up trees on major streets in the capital.

One person was killed and two injured on Thursday after a billboard collapsed on vehicles travelling on the October Bridge in Central Cairo due to strong winds and a sandstorm.

Social media users shared photos of some billboards that collapsed on major roads in New Cairo and the Suez-Cairo Road.

Some ports on the Mediterranean Sea were ordered closed on Thursday due to the unstable weather conditions, high wind speeds, and elevated sea waves.