Pilgrim recounts extreme heat and struggle for shade during hajj
Original report:
Zirrar Ali’s account of performing hajj with his elderly father describes temperatures above 51°C, exhausting journeys and a desperate search for shade. The Guardian testimony highlights how extreme heat complicated both religious observance and caring for a vulnerable relative.
Zirrar Ali described fearing for himself and his elderly father during a hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia when temperatures exceeded 51°C, according to a Guardian account published on 9 November 2026. He recalled pilgrims collapsing, intense thirst and difficulty finding shade as he moved between religious sites around Mecca.
Ali said he left his father at their hotel during some activities to limit his exposure, performing certain rites on his behalf while his father completed the essential ones himself. He reported inadequate water, shade and medical assistance in places he visited, but also described pilgrims sharing supplies and helping one another as the five-day pilgrimage progressed.
The Guardian links rising temperatures from climate change to greater danger during summer hajj pilgrimages and even those held in spring. Ali’s testimony illustrates the tension between outdoor religious observance and protection from heat, particularly for elderly participants. His observations do not establish the adequacy of services across the entire pilgrimage.
Source
the Guardian — 9 November 2026
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