Airports in the coastal cities of Alexandria and Matrouh were closed on Saturday due to a sandstorm that affected much of Egypt, MENA reported.

Civil Aviation Minister Hossam Kamal said that all flights expected to land in Alexandria and in Matrouh, which is 250km west of Alexandria, were diverted to Cairo due to low visibility.

In a statement, Kamal said that visibility was down to less than 500 metres at Alexandria's Burg Al-Arab Airport and at Matrouh Airport.

The sandstorm, along with unusually high temperatures, affected Cairo and other parts of the country on Saturday.

One of the flights diverted to Cairo from Alexandria was an EgyptAir service from Medina in Saudi Arabia.

The minister stressed that flights were operating normally at Cairo International Airport and other airports around the country, and that visibility is expected to improve on Saturday evening.