Bad weather disrupts Suez Canal traffic

Strong winds yesterday disrupted shipping through Egypt's Suez Canal, cutting traffic to its lowest level in two decades, and closed four Red Sea ports, maritime officials said.

A Suez Canal Authority official said only 26 ships passed through the canal because of the bad weather, which prompted the authority to issue a warning to ship captains.

An official said after yesterday's last convoy entered the waterway that traffic hit its the lowest level for a working day in 20 years. In 2009, an average 47 ships a day went through the canal.

Egyptian port authorities also closed four ports along the Red Sea because of high waves and winds which reached speeds of 22 knots an hour.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.