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High temperatures are expected during next month’s annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, according to a chief meteorologist.
Over 2 million Muslims from around the world are expected to attend the upcoming Hajj in and around the Saudi holy city of Mecca.
Saudi agencies preparing for Hajj anticipate record numbers of pilgrims, following the approximately 30 million Muslims who performed Umrah, the minor pilgrimage, at the Grand Mosque, Islam’s holiest site, in Mecca during the past Islamic sacred month of Ramadan.
Ayman Ghulam, the head of the Saudi National Centre of Meteorology, stated that this year’s Hajj season falls in June, a period typically characterized by high temperatures and humidity levels.
He told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV that a recent workshop examined the climate impact on the 2024 Hajj and strategies for managing food inside pilgrims’ camps during the season. The hot weather increases the risk of heat stress for pilgrims.
“It was essential to coordinate with the concerned agencies and inform them of the weather forecasts at the holy sites so they can take necessary precautions during this year’s Hajj,” the official added.
