Heatwaves Ease for Second Pandemic-Era Hajj Pilgrimage
Saudi Arabia forecasts temperatures will rise to as high as 44 degrees Celsius in Mecca
Pilgrims, holding umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun, arrive at the Grand Mosque in Mecca at the start of the Hajj season on July 17, 2021.
Photographer: Fayez Nureldine/AFP via Getty Images
Heatwaves in one of the world’s hottest countries eased slightly as Hajj pilgrims make the arduous journey to Mecca this week.
Saudi Arabia forecasts temperatures will rise to as high as 44 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) in Mecca, the holiest city for Muslims that draws the faithful from around the world. The city’s hot desert climate, with virtually no rainfall in the summer, is expected to get even more extreme in the coming years as the planet warms. The highest temperature recorded in Hajj in the past 5 years was 50ºC in 2018 on Arafat day, the most important day of Hajj, according to the country’s Center of Meteorology.