During the pilgrimage season, scorching to extremely hot weather with temperatures between 45 and 48 degrees Celsius is predicted for the holy sites in Makkah.
Sandstorms and dust clouds carry a risk, especially when they cross exposed areas and travel at a speed of between 10 and 35 km/h on highways.
The National Center of Meteorology has set up a media and awareness center in Mina to meet the requirements of all pilgrims, including those who are disabled, by offering daily weather forecasts and instructional messages in a variety of languages.
Jeddah, the 5th of June, 2024. "We expect hot to extremely hot weather to prevail over Makkah and the holy sites throughout this year's Hajj season, with the mercury soaring during midday hours", said Ayman Ghulam, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Center of Meteorology (NCM), during a news briefing in Makkah on Tuesday. "Daily maximums in the holy sites are likely to be between 45 and 48 degrees Celsius during Hajj," he said. He further said that surface breezes could lift dust during the daytime, particularly on open land and highways. Wind speeds are expected to be between 10 and 35 km/h and will likely reach higher rates when thunderclouds appear. While precipitation prospects for the holy sites are low, there is a possibility that thunderclouds could form at Taif's heights, he added.
The strong winds generated by these clouds would blow down and stir up dust and sand. The NCM media and awareness center has been established in Mina, he said, adding that the center will provide the weather forecast and awareness and educational messages to pilgrims in five languages through twelve media channels on a 24-hour basis. He added that the facilities at the center would not only be updating government and local media outlets but also meeting the requirements of pilgrims with disabilities and that besides providing relevant bodies with comprehensive access to weather data and likely meteorological events; the newly constructed facility will also work to provide pilgrims with ease of movement within holy areas. Ghulam further underscored the role that the regional centers affiliated with the NCM play throughout the Hajj season. The centers' objectives include carrying out research about climate, dust, and sandstorms, and highlighting potential opportunities for weather improvement, which also come under the centers affiliated, such as the Regional Cloud Seeding Program, the Sand, and Dust Storm Warning Regional Center, and the Regional Center for Climate Change. Ghulam said that this year too, on the sidelines of the Hajj, the National Center of Meteorology, NCM, is participating in the operational management of the Hajj stations.
The center is operationally ready this year, and is equipped with an integrated system of technologies, human capabilities, and technical expertise to ensure the highest levels of success, in line with the latest international practices and standards, and based on providing the highest levels of services, including the Hajj area and inside the Grand Mosque. The government, on the other hand, ordered a direct order to utilize all energies and capabilities to meet the needs of Hajj pilgrims and ensure their comfort.
