Mecca: The Hajj pilgrimage can be physically exhausting even under ideal conditions, but this year worshipers face an additional challenge: scorching sun and temperatures soaring to 42 °C (108 °F).
Muslims who immigrated to western countries Saudi Arab For the five-day ritual, much of which takes place in the open air, the encounter is a stark reminder of how warming trends are exacerbating an already very hot desert climate.
Islam Men are prohibited from wearing hats once the Hajj ritual begins, and many have been seen trying to shield themselves with umbrellas, prayer mats and even a small bucket filled with water .
Women are obliged to cover their heads with scarves.
The result is a tough endurance test though pilgrims They usually shy away from complaining.
“I’m fine. I’m really enjoying it, although I’ve never experienced this summer before,” Noliha, a 61-year-old Brunei woman, told AFP.
“I really love it because I’m in” Maize And doing my first Hajj. I just cover my head with a hat instead of using an umbrella.”
The timing of the Hajj is determined by the Islamic calendar, and since 2017 it has fallen at least partially in July and August, the hottest months in Saudi Arabia.
It has cast a spotlight on rising temperatures that environmental activists say must be addressed by a rapid transition away from fossil fuels.
“The scorching heat that the Arabian Gulf region and especially Saudi Arabia is currently facing will soon become the norm,” it warned. Julian GeresatiGreenpeace Regional Program Director.
“The increase in mean regional temperature due to climate change is much higher than the global one and projections are clearly showing that summer outdoor activities, such as the Hajj pilgrimage, will become impossible”.
Authorities are allowing one million pilgrims, including 850,000 from abroad, to participate in this year’s Hajj, a major increase after pandemic restrictions put that number to 60,000 last year and even less a year earlier.
Summer in one of the hottest and most humid regions on Earth means anyone doing anything outside has risks – as well as the risks of dehydration, heat stroke and heart failure.
To provide some relief, the authorities have arranged for sprinkling of water from tall pillars outside the grand mosque in Mecca.
A few meters away, white-collar pilgrims take refuge on the cold marble floor in the shaded entrance of a shopping center while waiting for the next prayer.
“I’m covering my head because of the heat. It’s too strong. But God will help us,” said Mustafa Zareqa57, an Algerian pilgrim protects his head with a prayer mat.
Pilgrims moved into white air-conditioned tents in Mina, about seven kilometers (four miles) from the grand mosque, on Thursday.
Friday marks the high point of the Hajj at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have given his last sermon.
Pilgrims will spend the whole day praying under the sun on the mountain.
While hundreds of buses ferried the pilgrims to Mina on Thursday, some opted to walk and combat the heat.
“Anything is tolerable as long as it is for God’s sake,” said the 44-year-old Tunisian pilgrim. Haled bin JomaReaching Meena Chhawani on foot.
Saudi officials have touted their preparedness for the extreme conditions, highlighting the hundreds of hospital beds allocated for heat stroke patients as well as the “large numbers of mist fans” provided by them.
A truck has also been allotted to distribute umbrellas, water bottles and small fans.
Nevertheless, the National Meteorological Centre, which has set up an office in Mina, is sending warnings to pilgrims on their mobile phones, urging them to avoid outdoor rituals at certain times of the day, especially in the afternoon.
“The importance of meteorological information has increased … due to the current global climate conditions,” said Hussein al-Qahtani, the center’s spokesman, noting that it was providing hourly weather reports.
“The officials working with the pilgrims on the ground are keen to be attracted by this information,” he said.
However, some phones may not be up to the task of offering updates to their users.
“Warning! The temperature is too high to use your phone,” said a message obtained by an AFP journalist in Mina on Thursday.
Muslims who immigrated to western countries Saudi Arab For the five-day ritual, much of which takes place in the open air, the encounter is a stark reminder of how warming trends are exacerbating an already very hot desert climate.
Islam Men are prohibited from wearing hats once the Hajj ritual begins, and many have been seen trying to shield themselves with umbrellas, prayer mats and even a small bucket filled with water .
Women are obliged to cover their heads with scarves.
The result is a tough endurance test though pilgrims They usually shy away from complaining.
“I’m fine. I’m really enjoying it, although I’ve never experienced this summer before,” Noliha, a 61-year-old Brunei woman, told AFP.
“I really love it because I’m in” Maize And doing my first Hajj. I just cover my head with a hat instead of using an umbrella.”
The timing of the Hajj is determined by the Islamic calendar, and since 2017 it has fallen at least partially in July and August, the hottest months in Saudi Arabia.
It has cast a spotlight on rising temperatures that environmental activists say must be addressed by a rapid transition away from fossil fuels.
“The scorching heat that the Arabian Gulf region and especially Saudi Arabia is currently facing will soon become the norm,” it warned. Julian GeresatiGreenpeace Regional Program Director.
“The increase in mean regional temperature due to climate change is much higher than the global one and projections are clearly showing that summer outdoor activities, such as the Hajj pilgrimage, will become impossible”.
Authorities are allowing one million pilgrims, including 850,000 from abroad, to participate in this year’s Hajj, a major increase after pandemic restrictions put that number to 60,000 last year and even less a year earlier.
Summer in one of the hottest and most humid regions on Earth means anyone doing anything outside has risks – as well as the risks of dehydration, heat stroke and heart failure.
To provide some relief, the authorities have arranged for sprinkling of water from tall pillars outside the grand mosque in Mecca.
A few meters away, white-collar pilgrims take refuge on the cold marble floor in the shaded entrance of a shopping center while waiting for the next prayer.
“I’m covering my head because of the heat. It’s too strong. But God will help us,” said Mustafa Zareqa57, an Algerian pilgrim protects his head with a prayer mat.
Pilgrims moved into white air-conditioned tents in Mina, about seven kilometers (four miles) from the grand mosque, on Thursday.
Friday marks the high point of the Hajj at Mount Arafat, where the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have given his last sermon.
Pilgrims will spend the whole day praying under the sun on the mountain.
While hundreds of buses ferried the pilgrims to Mina on Thursday, some opted to walk and combat the heat.
“Anything is tolerable as long as it is for God’s sake,” said the 44-year-old Tunisian pilgrim. Haled bin JomaReaching Meena Chhawani on foot.
Saudi officials have touted their preparedness for the extreme conditions, highlighting the hundreds of hospital beds allocated for heat stroke patients as well as the “large numbers of mist fans” provided by them.
A truck has also been allotted to distribute umbrellas, water bottles and small fans.
Nevertheless, the National Meteorological Centre, which has set up an office in Mina, is sending warnings to pilgrims on their mobile phones, urging them to avoid outdoor rituals at certain times of the day, especially in the afternoon.
“The importance of meteorological information has increased … due to the current global climate conditions,” said Hussein al-Qahtani, the center’s spokesman, noting that it was providing hourly weather reports.
“The officials working with the pilgrims on the ground are keen to be attracted by this information,” he said.
However, some phones may not be up to the task of offering updates to their users.
“Warning! The temperature is too high to use your phone,” said a message obtained by an AFP journalist in Mina on Thursday.