Egyptian president offers sympathy after heavy rains

CAIRO – Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has expressed sympathy with people affected by the rare heavy rains over the past two days.

The downpour had caused flash floods on the streets, leaving parts of the capital, Cairo, and other parts of Egypt impassable. Footage on social media showed floods, leaky ceilings and parked cars completely submerged in water.

On Thursday, el-Sissi sought to reassure people that measures would be taken to prevent this from recurring.

He said on his Twitter account: “I understand completely the suffering of some Egyptians due to the sudden and unusual rainfall.”

El-Sissi added that he confirms the state and Egyptian authorities will “intensify their efforts to prevent such incidents from recurring.”

Egypt’s Meteorological Authority Ahmed Abdel-Al says the weather is expected to improve by Friday.