Makkah: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Meteorology (NCM) has announced that this year’s Haj weather at the holy sites is expected to be extremely hot, with temperatures reaching their peak at midday.
Ayman bin Salem Ghulam, the CEO of the NCM, told a press conference in Makkah on Tuesday, June 4, that daily high temperatures in the holy sites during Haj are forecasted to range from 45 to 48 degrees Celsius.
Ghulam warns of dust stirring in open areas and highways due to surface winds ranging from 10 to 35 km/h, with speeds increasing with thunderclouds, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
He noted that thunderclouds may form in Taif, causing strong descending winds and dust and sand stir up at holy sites, despite low rainfall chances.
Furthermore, humidity may reach up to 60 percent during Haj, he said.
Ghulam announced that the NCM launched a media and awareness center in Mina, broadcasting daily weather bulletins and educational messages to pilgrims in five languages, catering to disabled pilgrims and keeping local media informed.
The center has been launched to facilitate pilgrimage within holy sites and offer comprehensive access to weather data and meteorological phenomena.
This year, more than two million Muslims around the world are expected to participate in the upcoming Haj.
Haj is expected to begin on June 14. However, the date is subject to change pending an official announcement by the Saudi Arabia moon sighting committee in the days leading up to the Haj.