Clear / cloudy in Cairo — 39°C, wind 10 km/h

Cairo is baking under extreme heat today, with temperatures hitting 39°C this afternoon — hot enough to make standing in the shade feel like standing next to an oven.

The Egyptian capital recorded the scorching temperature at 2pm GMT, with skies shifting between clear and cloudy. A light breeze of 10 kilometres per hour is doing little to offer relief, roughly the speed of a gentle jog, which in this heat feels more like a hairdryer than a cooling wind.

What 39°C actually feels like

For those of us more accustomed to British summers, 39°C is genuinely dangerous heat. It's well above normal body temperature, meaning your body has to work overtime just to keep cool. At this temperature, tarmac becomes uncomfortably hot to touch, car interiors turn into ovens within minutes, and even healthy people need to take serious precautions.

No rain has fallen, which is hardly surprising for Cairo in August, but the lack of any moisture in the air offers no respite from the relentless sun.

Extreme heat warning in effect

Weather monitoring services have flagged the conditions as extreme heat, a designation that isn't handed out lightly. Residents and visitors are being urged to stay indoors during the hottest part of the day, drink plenty of water, and check on elderly neighbours.

Cairo's August temperatures typically hover in the mid-thirties, so while today's reading isn't completely unprecedented for the season, it's still at the upper end of what locals expect — and what the human body can comfortably tolerate.

The conditions remain ongoing as of this afternoon, with no immediate relief forecast.

Your memories and connections

Have you ever experienced heat like this, whether in Egypt or elsewhere around the Mediterranean? Do you have family or friends in Cairo at the moment? We'd love to hear how people cope with these temperatures, or any memories you have of sweltering summer days abroad. Drop us a comment below.