The governors of Cairo, Giza, and Qalyubia announced the suspension of school classes on Sunday morning after students had already arrived — a delayed decision that caused widespread confusion, with many schools dismissing pupils just minutes after the school day had begun.
The announcement caught both schools and families off guard. On Saturday, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority forecast “a chance of light rain” in Greater Cairo, Sinai, northern Upper Egypt, and the Western Desert at intermittent intervals. As a result, the government did not take any preemptive measures, such as suspending classes.
Instead, after a light start at dawn, heavy rain poured across Greater Cairo as millions of students and employees made their way to schools and workplaces as usual.
Pools of rainwater accumulated along major roads and highways, worsening traffic congestion, alongside metro disruptions and delays in railway services, due to infrastructure that did not absorb the rainfall. Affected areas included Maadi, Al Wahat Road near 6th of October City, the road by Helwan University, and parts of New Cairo’s Fifth Settlement.
Two girls get off along the Ring Road toward Maadi amid transport disruptions and rain on March 29, 2026.In an attempt to contain the disruption, Education Minister Mohamed Abdel Latif instructed schools in the three governorates to keep students on campus until collected by their parents, suspend all exams, and continue the school day for those who could not be picked up, the ministry said in a statement.
Egypt experienced a wave of unstable weather last week, with rainfall and strong winds affecting several governorates and prompting two days of school and government closures.
The rest of the week is forecast to be largely dry, with a slight chance of rain returning Thursday. It remains to be seen whether authorities will issue preemptive school closures.
