Weather forecasters expect an extended stretch of bitter cold in Egypt well into Friday, saying this week's cold stint will peak on Wednesday and Thursday.

Rains have already started to fall in the country's northern coasts on Tuesday, with moderate rainfall expected later in the day in Nile Delta provinces, meteorologists said.

"The unstable weather on Tuesday has caused stiff winds in western parts through Upper Egypt, whipping up sands and dust and obscuring vision on roads," Wahid Saudi, spokesperson for the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA), told Ahram Online.

Three of Egypt's ports in the Red Sea have temporarily closed off as a result wintry conditions yielding high wind speeds and waves in the Gulf of Suez, a spokesperson from the Red Sea Ports Authority said.

Meteorologists at EMA say the wintry conditions will hold their grip through Friday, with temperatures peaking on Wednesday and Thursday, at an average low of 5 Celsius (41 Fahrenheit). 

Rainfall is expected in the capital Cairo early on Wednesday, where the high is likely to fall 2 degrees to 11 C (52 F).

Cairo's temperatures were forecasted at a high of 13C (55 Fahrenheit) and a low of 7 Celsius (45 F) on Tuesday. The Mediterranean city of Alexandria on Egypt's north coast should see a high of 12 and a low of 8, while southern cities are likely to see warmer temperatures with average highs hovering around 16-17 C.