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.