CAIRO, May 7 (AFP) - Sandstorms and high seas forced the Egyptian authorities to close five ports on Sunday, the port authorities said.

The ports of Alexandria and Dekheila on the Mediterranean Sea as well as those at Adabeya, Port Tawfiq and Zayteya on the Suez Canal were closed, they said.

In the Red Sea, which leads into the Suez Canal, windspeeds exceeded 30 knots, while waves rose more than two meters (6.6 feets) high, they added. Spring in Egypt is frequently accompanied by sandstorms known as the Khaseen, which means 50 in Arabic, for the 50 days they are said to last.