The temperatures are expected to reach a peak on Monday and Tuesday, according to Manar Ghanam, a member of EMA's media centre.

Ghanam added that the temperatures will begin to subside starting next week.

Temperatures in Greater Cairo have recorded 38 degrees Celsius since Saturday, with temperatures reaching 45 and 34 in Upper Egypt and the North Coast, respectively.  

Earlier this week, the EMA warned that "feels-like" temperatures are projected to soar 2-3 degrees higher than the actual readings.

In a phone call to satellite TV Channel DMC, Ghanam said the heatwave is caused due to an air mass coming from the Mediterranean.

She attributed the rise in feels-like temperatures to elevated levels of humidity.

Ghanam advised citizens to minimize direct exposure to sunlight, especially from 12-4 pm.

The Egyptian Company for Metro Management and Operation issued instructions Monday for train operators on the first and second line of the Cairo Metro railway to reduce speeds to minimize the effect of the heat wave.  

The company explained that reducing the speed of the trains should help avoid any malfunction in the metro’s electric network or the trains themselves.