FALCON POWERS – The Saudi authorities expect that “temperatures will be higher than the normal average” during the current Hajj season, as climate researchers sound the alarm. So how is the Kingdom preparing to receive nearly two million pilgrims this year?
The Hajj journey this year, whose actual rituals begin on what is known as the “Day of Tarwiyah” on June 14th, will not only be a lifetime experience for around two million Muslims from about 180 countries who have arrived in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for Hajj, but will also pose a physical challenge to them due to the high temperatures, which have exceeded the usual natural averages there.
In this context, the President of the National Center of Meteorology, Ayman Ghulam, warned last week that “the expected weather conditions for Hajj this year will see an increase in the average temperature by 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above the normal average in Mecca and Medina”.
For Mecca, which is the heart of the Hajj journey for five days, the temperature is likely to rise to an average of around 44 degrees Celsius. To mitigate these high temperatures, the responsible Saudi authorities have equipped all the main squares in Mecca and Medina with portable shading systems to protect the pilgrims from direct sunlight, as well as spraying water mist to cool the atmosphere, and the authorities have also promised to air-condition the ground of the Haram Mosque in Mecca and the surrounding tents.
Rituals Under the Scorching Sun
But despite these preparations, the rituals of Hajj, with their various rites, cannot be performed only in air-conditioned buildings and squares. Even with the high temperatures, pilgrims will have to perform some rituals under direct sunlight for about 30 hours, such as standing on Mount Arafat for a full day from sunrise to sunset, and walking for several hours along the outskirts of Mecca on other days.
