More than 1.7 Million Pilgrims Arrived in Mecca for Hajj despite Heat

1.7 million pilgrims have gathered in Mecca. Participants of the Hajj have arrived to venerate the Black Stone of the Kaaba, sacred to Muslims.

Severe heat has settled in Saudi Arabia, with daytime temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F) and dropping to 35°C (95°F) at night. Authorities fear the heat poses a fatal threat to many Hajj participants. For example, in 2024, 1,300 pilgrims died there from the heat. Dying during the Hajj is considered a mercy from Allah, but authorities are still extremely concerned about the hot weather and are trying to provide people with water and shelter.

Indonesia is facing a different kind of disaster. Torrential rains have lashed the island of Java. The rainfall is so heavy that dozens of populated areas have been flooded. Even in the capital, Jakarta, dozens of neighborhoods are underwater.

The natural disaster has also affected part of the island of Sulawesi. In agricultural regions, crops have been severely damaged. There are no reports of casualties, but only because the floods have not yet subsided and it is not possible to calculate the human and material damage.