The deadly impact of high temperatures
During the hajj, the great pilgrimage to Mecca that Muslims make in the last month of their calendar, more than 550 deaths have been recorded due to the high temperatures that hit Saudi Arabia. The extreme conditions, with temperatures exceeding 50°C, combined with the crowds and demands of the pilgrimage ritual, have caused the deaths of hundreds of people and led to 2,000 individuals being treated for heat stroke. Testimonies from pilgrims have described the vision of motionless bodies near the road and overwhelmed ambulance services. This year, approximately 1.8 million pilgrims have participated in the hajj, of which 1.6 million come from abroad, according to Saudi authorities.
Victims and repercussions
Although people from all over the world travel to Mecca to perform the hajj, the majority of victims so far are Egyptian nationals, with 323 deaths due to heat-related illnesses. Likewise, 60 Jordanians, 35 Tunisians and 11 Iranians have died. The authorities expect these numbers to increase, since other countries have reported the deaths of their citizens, although they have not yet provided concrete data.
Cautions and challenges
The Saudi authorities and the pilgrims themselves were alerted about the high temperatures, and the use of umbrellas, drinking plenty of water and avoiding exposure to the sun during the hottest hours of the day had been advised. However, many of the hajj rituals, including prayers on Mount Arafat, involve being outdoors for long periods during the day.
The impact of climate change
The intense heat experienced in Mecca exceeds normal even for a desert area, being one of the territories most affected by the climate crisis. According to a recently published Saudi study, the pilgrimage is expected to be increasingly affected by global warming, with an estimated 0.4°C increase in temperatures in the area where the rituals take place every decade. This suggests that temperatures above 50 °C, such as those experienced this year, could become a recurring event.
Momentary relief
In recent hours, light rains in the area have contributed to reducing temperatures from 49-51 °C to 38 °C, offering a small respite for the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims present in Mecca.
