RIYADH: Millions of Muslims worldwide are anticipating performing the annual Hajj in 2024, but Saudi Arabia has alerted travelers of “above average” temperatures.
Ayman Ghulam, the head of the Saudi National Meteorological Center, stated at a news conference that Makkah and Madina will have an average temperature increase of 1.5 to 2 degrees above usual during the Hajj in 2024, with an average maximum temperature of 44°C predicted.
Ghulam went on to say that when humidity levels are at 25%, there are practically no prospects of rain.
One of the five pillars of Islam is the Hajj, which starts on June 14 and that every Muslim who has the means to do so must perform at least once.
It entails a series of rituals performed over four days in the western Saudi Arabian province of Makkah and its environs.
According to official data, about 1.8 million Muslims performed the Hajj last year.
Authorities in Saudi Arabia said that over 2,000 individuals experienced heat exhaustion as a result of high temperatures that reached 48°C (118°F).
In actuality, though, the number of cases of heat stress—which includes heatstroke, exhaustion, cramps, and rashes—was likely far higher because so many victims were not brought to clinics or hospitals.
