Climatology of selected dangerous weather phenomena at Cairo and Borg-Alarab airports

Abstract

Forecasting severe weather such as (fog, sand storms and dust storms) with the intensity and the duration has a significant increasing importance in the recent years where it affects directly on the aviation operations, particularly over big international airports. Ranked as the busiest airport in Africa, Cairo international airport is one of the affected airports by severe weather phenomena during the four seasons every year. The climatology of selected dangerous weather phenomena over Cairo and Borg-Alarab airports has been described by analyzing 18 years of aviation routine weather reports (METAR). The collected data showed that fog days at Cairo airport per year vary from 3 to 20 with an average of 10 days per year. Events are most frequently from September to march, with November and January being the most active months. The longest fog event experienced was on November 30th/ December 1st (14 hour) in 2010.Fog usually occurs between 0100 to 1000 local time with one case started at 1900 and another case ended at 1300.As for Borg Al-arab airport, fog days at Borg Al-arab airport per year vary from 8 to 34 with an average of 19 days per year. Events are most  frequently from October to April, with February and January being the most active months respectively. The longest fog event experienced was on January 8th/9th (16.5 hour ).in 2010.Fog usually occurs between 0100 to 1000 local time with one case started at 2030 and another 2 cases ended at 1300 local time. Statistical data for other phenomena such as (mist, haze, dust or sand storms) also have been analyzed in this study.