Earthquake strikes Egypt after Dutch seismologist's prediction

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.4 on the Richter scale struck Egypt early Wednesday morning, with the quake being felt kilometers northwest of the metro in the country's northwest.

This comes days after the latest forecast published by Dutch seismologist Frank Hoogerbeets who predicted seismic activity in the Mediterranean region between September 15 and 17 and between September 19 and 21.

He had said that tremors may be felt in Portugal, Spain, and Morocco, though Egypt wasn't included on the list.

Will a magnitude 7 earthquake occur in the coming days?

In a video uploaded to YouTube by Hoogerbeets's organization the Solar System Geometry Survey (SSGEOS), the seismologist warned of the possibility of stronger quakes between September 19 and 21.

"In a worst-case scenario we could see a borderline 7 magnitude earthquake," he said in the video. "An obvious seismic increase, which depends on the stress levels in Earth's crust. There could be a larger seismic event around the 20th, give or take one day."

Dr. Gad el-Qady, dean of Egypt's National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, confirmed in the past that the country witnesses daily earthquakes, but that these are usually not felt by the public. He explained that 90% of Egypt's earthquakes are relatively weak and are rarely more than magnitude 2, stressing that these seismic events originate outside the country.