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The extreme heat that resulted in over 500 deaths during the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca was exacerbated by climate change, making it 2.5ºC hotter, according to a rapid analysis by Climameter scientists.
In recent weeks, large parts of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East have experienced extreme temperatures. The heatwave coincided with the annual Hajj, drawing millions of pilgrims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, temperatures soared to 47ºC. Media reports indicate that at least 550 people from various countries succumbed to heat-related illnesses during the pilgrimage.
Impact of Fossil Fuels
Climameter, an EU-funded initiative, conducts rapid analyses on climate change's role in extreme weather events. Using satellite data from the past 40 years, they compared meteorological systems from the late 20th century (1979-2001) to recent decades (2001-2023). Their findings reveal that today's heatwaves are up to 2.5°C more intense than those at the turn of the century.
Davide Faranda, a Climameter researcher at CNRS, France, stated: "ClimaMeter's report highlights that the deadly heat during this year's Hajj is directly linked to fossil fuel burning and has affected the most vulnerable pilgrims."
Need for Immediate Action
"Immediate action is imperative to safeguard the health and safety of Middle East citizens and pilgrims. Only reducing fossil fuel combustion can prevent reaching critical temperature thresholds and avoid transforming these significant religious events into recurrent tragedies," Faranda added.
Tommaso Alberti, a Climameter researcher at INGV, Italy, commented: "ClimaMeter's analysis indicates that natural climate variability is highly unlikely to be the main cause of the Saudi Arabian heatwave, with up to 2.5°C warmer than the warmest heatwaves previously observed in the region."
"It is crucial to prepare for the growing intensity and increase in frequency of such events. This calls for urgent actions to protect public health, particularly in historical neighbours and religious areas of middle-east cities, which are densely populated," Alberti emphasised.
Legal Implications
Johnny White, a lawyer at ClientEarth, remarked: "The climate crisis is the greatest threat to human rights globally. Loss of life and harm to people's wellbeing will only increase if systemic emitters don't rapidly rein in the fossil fuels driving dangerous heat spikes and other extreme weather events."
"In a major legal development, the UN recently warned Saudi Aramco over its role in driving climate-fuelled human rights violations," White continued.
"The UN was clear: human rights law demands corporate action on climate change. Unless they tackle their emissions and stop recklessly expanding oil and gas, major polluters like Saudi Aramco will continue to exacerbate the suffering caused by rising temperature extremes in Saudi Arabia, across the Gulf and around the world."
"The UN's warning also put the financial companies supporting fossil fuel giants on notice, highlighting that they are at risk of breaching human rights standards themselves," White concluded.
The findings underscore an urgent need for global action against fossil fuel combustion to mitigate future tragedies during significant religious events like Hajj. Addressing climate change is essential for protecting vulnerable populations from extreme weather conditions.
