Saudi Arabia deploys sophisticated weather monitoring system to advise pilgrims

MAKKAH: Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Meteorology (NCM) has issued 1,920 hourly weather bulletins throughout this year’s haj season to advise pilgrims, as temperatures, particularly around Mina, are expected to reach as high as 40°C to 45°C.

The bulletins are generated from 16 automatic and two manually operated weather stations in Mina and Arafah, as well as mobile monitoring units.

These weather monitoring stations, equipped with sophisticated systems and modern technology, including radar, satellite imagery and weather models, feed data to an integrated operations room that runs 24 hours a day to provide the meteorological updates.

This ensures 100 per cent overage in Makkah, the holy sites, and Madinah, in addition to key locations such as ports, airports, and connecting routes.

Yesterday’s temperatures are expected to range between 33°C and 44°C, with the peak occurring between 9am and 3pm.

Yesterday, the 11th of the hijri month of Zulhijjah in Saudi Arabia, pilgrims continued the ritual of stoning of the devil at all three Jamarat, and will continue to do so today and tomorrow, the 12th, and 13th of Zulhijjah.

Malaysian journalists invited by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media chose to depart for the stoning ritual before dawn (Subuh prayer time).

This was to avoid congestion and extreme heat exposure, especially as pilgrims walk in crowds from their accommodations to the Jamarat area.

Based on observations, the period between midnight and Subuh is the most ideal, as most pilgrims begin the trek to the Jamarat area after completing Subuh prayers.

On Friday, the ‘dhuyufurrahman’ (guests of the Most Merciful) completed the stoning ritual at Jamratul Kubra, followed by ‘tahallul’ (partial release from the state of ihram), after performing ‘wukuf’ in Arafah and spending the night (mabit) in Muzdalifah.

After completing the stoning ritual at all three jamarat, pilgrims will head to Makkah to perform ‘tawaf’ and ‘sa’i’, before performing the final ‘tahallul’, thus completing all compulsory rituals of haj.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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