Cairo - Egypt on Thursday closed seven ports and four airports, but not the capital Cairo, because of bad weather, authorities said.

Aviation authorities closed airports in Aswan, Assiut and Abu Simbel in southern Egypt because of strong winds and sand storms. Heavy rains forced the closure of Alexandria airport on Egypt's Mediterranean coast.

Port authorities said high waves, strong winds and poor visibility, forced the closure of sea ports in Alexandria and Dikhelia on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, Adabiya, Tewfiq and Zaytiya in the Gulf of Suez, Nuweiba in the Gulf of Aqaba and Hurghada on the Red Sea coast.