MINA: Muslim pilgrims took part in the symbolic stoning of the devil on Monday in the final ritual of the Hajj, with many doing so in the early hours of the morning to escape the worst of the blazing summer heat.
Temperatures hit 48C by 2pm in Makkah and the holy sites in and around the city, the Saudi National Center for Metrology said.
“Of course, it is something very hard and tiring. The temperature is abnormal compared to the past years and this affects us a lot,” said Ahmed Al-Baradie, from Egypt.
Carrying an umbrella against the burning sun, Pakistani pilgrim Khoda Bakhch visited the stoning site on Monday morning and planned to return at sunset. “After two or three hours, the heat may be too much,” he said.
Medics and first responders were deployed in and around Mina to direct and help pilgrims. They treated many people for sunburn on their feet.
Sani Abdullah, a Nigerian, said he was used to heat in his own country. “I am really impressed by the preparations,” he said. “I have never encountered any problems. Everything is going smoothly.”
More than 1.83 million Muslims performed the Hajj this year, slightly fewer than last year’s 1.84 million. They included more than 1.6 million pilgrims from 22 countries, and about 222,000 Saudi citizens and expatriate residents.
