Air quality in Egypt: the black cloud, forecasts and what to do

Short answer. Egypt's Ministry of Environment runs a national air-pollution monitoring network of 120 stations ¹ and publishes a three-day forecast for eight regions, rated Good, Fair or Poor ². The clearest acute episodes, the "black cloud", hit Cairo in October and November ³. During one, children, older people, pregnant women and sick people should stay indoors with windows closed ⁴. City fine-particle levels are about eight times the WHO guideline ⁵⁷.

Where can I check air quality in Egypt?

On the Ministry of Environment's air-quality forecast page (eeaa.gov.eg), which gives a three-day outlook for the Delta, the North Coast, the Canal cities, Sinai, Greater Cairo, Upper Egypt, the New Valley and the Red Sea ². The ministry's national ambient air-pollution monitoring network has 120 stations, 55 of them in Greater Cairo ¹. During an episode, the ministry says to follow the media, which it coordinates with to publish air-quality data and weather bulletins ⁴.

What do the forecast levels mean?

The forecast is not a pollution index: it rates the weather's ability to disperse pollution, using a ventilation index ².

What is the "black cloud"?

The ministry calls acute air pollution episodes the "black cloud" (السحابة السوداء) ³. The clearest ones occur in October and November, when mostly northerly winds bring smoke from the burning of agricultural and solid waste north of Cairo, which adds to the city's own pollution ³. Southerly winds in winter and early spring carry pollution from cement, brick and other factories at Helwan and El Tebbin, and calm winds with temperature inversions trap Cairo's own exhaust and industrial pollution near the ground ³.

What should I do during an episode?

The Ministry of Environment advises ⁴:

• children should not play outdoors;
• children, older people, pregnant women and sick people should stay indoors throughout the episode;
• close the windows, avoid outdoor sport and limit direct sun exposure;
• drink water and other fluids regularly;
• outdoor workers who feel unwell should go indoors;
• if you are outside, get indoors quickly and put a damp handkerchief over your nose.

See also Clean-air room, Masks for smoke and dust, Sensitive people and polluted air and Dust storms.

How polluted is the air on average?

Heavily. The population-weighted median of Egyptian cities shows about 41 µg/m³ of PM2.5 (annual mean 2021-2023) ⁵, about eight times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ ⁷. Nitrogen dioxide is about 34 µg/m³ ⁶, more than three times the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m³ ⁷. That NO2 figure is a regional background over roughly 80 km: a busy road will be higher. The ministry names traffic as the main source of nitrogen oxides in cities ⁸.

Frequently asked questions

When is the black cloud in Egypt?

The clearest episodes occur in October and November, with mostly northerly winds ³.

Does Egypt have an air quality index?

The public forecast uses a ventilation index (Good, Fair, Poor) for eight regions ²; the ministry also measures pollutants at 120 stations ¹.

Who should stay indoors during a pollution episode?

Children, older people, pregnant women and sick people, according to the Ministry of Environment ⁴.

Preparedness index: Egypt ranks 67th of 67, 9/100 · full ranking