The highest temperatures in more than two decades at the holy site of Mecca led to the deaths of more than 1,300 pilgrims during this year’s Islamic Hajj pilgrimage.
The annual devotion draws almost 2 million Muslims to the west of Saudi Arabia, which is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic faith. However, temperatures during this year’s gathering frequently exceeded 50° Celsius (122° Fahrenheit), with Saudi Arabia’s meteorological department recording a high of 51.8°C (125.2°F).
Hundreds of pilgrims from Egypt were confirmed to have died. Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Health Fahd bin Abdurrahman Al-Jalajel said most of those killed were on unofficial tour packages and had to walk long distances to Islam’s holiest site, a lifelong ambition for those who pay thousands of dollars to carry out the act of worship. Data showed health workers in Saudi Arabia treated around half a million Hajj pilgrims for heat exhaustion. The Hajj pilgrimage is determined by the lunar calendar and is moving closer to the Saudi winter. However, by 2040 the pilgrimage will take place at the peak of the hot season. The Gulf is already one of the world’s hottest regions, and projections show a majority of people will live under extreme heat by 2070 even if average global temperatures are restricted to 1.5°C.
Banner image by Ali Mansuri via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)
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