By Mirna Fahmy

The Mediterranean region has recently witnessed an unusual string of natural events—strong earthquakes, severe coastal storms, and volcanic eruptions—all within weeks. From Greece to Egypt and even the UK, the Earth has been unusually restless.

Earthquake Felt Across Northern Egypt

In the early hours of Wednesday, May 14, 2025, residents across Northern Egypt were jolted awake by a powerful tremor. The shaking lasted under 20 seconds in cities like Cairo and the northern governorates, yet its sudden intensity left many alarmed.

Later identified as a 6.4 magnitude earthquake, the epicenter lay near Crete, Greece, approximately 631 kilometers north of Rashid, Egypt. Though far from Egyptian soil, the tremor rippled across the Eastern Mediterranean and was even felt as far as the United Kingdom.

Egypt’s National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) confirmed the quake occurred at 1:51 a.m. local time, with a depth of 74–76 km—categorizing it as an intermediate-depth earthquake. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded a slightly lower magnitude of 6.1 near Fry, Greece.

The earthquake’s reach was remarkable, shaking parts of Türkiye, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Libya, and the UK—highlighting the deep tectonic ties within the Mediterranean basin.

A Pattern of Seismic Activity

This quake was not an isolated event. Other strong tremors followed: May 22: 6.2 magnitude quake near Crete, on June 3, a 5.8 magnitude quake struck Türkiye and Greece and on June 4, another 6.2 magnitude quake affected the same Mediterranean arc.

These repeated events suggest a broader geological unrest along the Hellenic Arc, a known earthquake zone near Crete.

Why Does Egypt Feel These Quakes?

Egypt lies near the boundary between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, a zone of high seismic activity. As the African Plate slowly pushes northward beneath the Eurasian Plate—a process called subduction—earthquakes frequently occur in the surrounding regions, particularly Greece and Türkiye.

When quakes happen at intermediate depths (around 60–80 km), their shockwaves can travel longer distances through the Earth’s crust. This is why cities like Alexandria and Cairo can feel quakes even when their epicenters are hundreds of kilometers away.

The April 23 earthquake in Türkiye’s Sea of Marmara (magnitude 6.2) and the May 14 Crete quake both caused tremors that spread across the eastern Mediterranean.

Egypt’s Warning Signs and Preparedness

Speaking on the talk show “Happening in Egypt”, Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad warned that the country may be entering “the onset of danger”, referring to an uptick in seismic activity.

She emphasized the need for strong early warning systems, faster crisis response protocols and Public awareness campaigns.
Fouad described recent seismic activity as “atypical,” suggesting Egypt may be facing geophysical shifts not previously observed.

Mount Etna Eruption Adds to the Tension

On June 2, 2025, Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano in Sicily, erupted at 11:24 a.m. local time, releasing towering plumes of ash over nearby towns.

The eruption is caused by the subduction of the African Plate beneath the Eurasian Plate. Simply, the previous quakes in Crete and Türkiye triggered its wake-up. This geological process melts material in the Earth’s mantle, forming magma that rises to the surface and fuels volcanic activity. Etna’s outbursts are a dramatic surface expression of the powerful movements occurring deep beneath the Mediterranean basin.

Mount Etna’s recent eruption raised concerns for scientists and those living nearby. Because Etna is so big and erupts so often, there’s a strong possibility that the forces inside the volcano could trigger earthquakes in the surrounding Mediterranean region. While these connections aren’t always straightforward or immediate, geophysical research confirms that volcanic activity and fault lines can influence each other.

Sicily’s geographic position adds another layer of significance to Etna’s eruptions. The island is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, directly across from North Africa, making it relatively close to both Egypt and Libya.

In fact, Sicily lies just 100 miles (160 kilometers) northeast of Tunisia, placing it within a zone of historical interaction, trade, and even shared seismic sensitivity. This proximity has played a role not only in migration patterns but also in the shared vulnerability to geological and environmental events.

Tsunamis, weather changes and climate change:

Usually, after any earthquake, the possibility of a tsunami is anticipated, especially for coastal cities and towns. A stark reminder of this danger was the devastating tsunami that followed the earthquake in Japan in 2011. In the case of the May 2025 earthquake, the Athens Geodynamic Institute initially issued a temporary tsunami warning, but it was swiftly lifted when no tsunami materialized.

The institute emphasized the depth of the earthquake and its location along the Greek arc, reassuring the public that it was unrelated to recent seismic activity in Santorini or Türkiye and that no significant aftershocks were expected.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s largest coastal cities, Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh, experienced severe and unseasonal storms and hail in early June 2025—conditions typically seen in the winter months, not in spring. This unusual weather sparked public speculation, with some suggesting that the storms were caused by the earthquakes and labeling them a “tsunami.” However, astronomy and geophysical institutes quickly denied this claim, confirming that the storms were due to atmospheric conditions, not seismic sea waves.

Experts have clarified that climate change is not the primary cause of the recent earthquakes in Greece. However, it remains a significant factor behind the severe and unseasonal weather that struck Alexandria and other Egyptian Mediterranean coastal cities. Rising sea surface temperatures have exceeded normal levels, setting off intense storm conditions rarely observed during this time of year. The close succession of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and extreme weather appears to be a striking coincidence—yet one that underscores the region’s growing environmental volatility.

While earthquakes are not directly triggered by climate change, Fouad, has cautioned that rising sea levels may contribute to an increase in seismic activity. Speaking during a televised interview, Fouad emphasized that Egypt is already witnessing a surge in extreme weather events, which are becoming both more intense and more frequent. “We are now witnessing unusually heavy rainfall, flash floods, droughts, and storms,” she said, attributing these changes to the accelerating impact of climate change on weather patterns.

Alexandria and parts of the northern Nile Delta are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and land subsidence—all of which are exacerbated by climate change. These environmental risks are well documented and continue to raise concerns about the long-term sustainability and habitability of low-lying coastal areas in Egypt.

Although earthquakes and tsunamis remain a possibility, the greater and more immediate threat to Alexandria’s future is gradual sea-level rise, rather than sudden disappearance due to recent seismic events. Historically, sections of the Nile Delta and coastal cities have been lost to the sea as a result of tectonic activity, natural subsidence, and rising waters. Today, modern engineering and continuous monitoring help mitigate some of these threats, but without robust and sustained interventions, Alexandria and other cities in the Delta remain increasingly vulnerable to slow but persistent inundation in the coming decades.