- Climate change worsened the heatwave in Saudi Arabia, raising temperatures to over 51.8°C (125°F).
- ClimaMeter’s analysis indicates that the heatwave would have been more relaxed, about 2.5°C (4.5°F).
- Experts urge Saudi Arabia, a significant oil producer, to acknowledge and address the climate impact of its actions to prevent similar future tragedies.
Climate change worsened a severe heatwave in Saudi Arabia, resulting in the deaths of 1,300 Haj pilgrims this month, European scientists reported early on Friday, June 28, 2024.
Temperatures on the pilgrimage route soared to 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) and surpassed 51.8 degrees Celsius (125 degrees Fahrenheit) at Mecca’s Great Mosque from June 16 to 18. ClimaMeter, a European weather agency, linked this extreme heat to human-caused climate change.
Their analysis shows that without climate change, temperatures would have been about 2.5 degrees Celsius (4.5 degrees Fahrenheit) cooler. ClimaMeter used satellite data from the past four decades to compare weather patterns from 1979 to 2001 with those from 2001 to 2023.
Despite the desert region’s history of high temperatures, the study concluded that natural variability alone could not account for the recent heat wave’s intensity. Researchers observed intense heatwaves in Saudi Arabia, which traditionally occur in May and July.
However, June now experiences more severe heat events. “The deadly heat during this year’s Haj directly links to fossil fuel burning and severely impacted the most vulnerable pilgrims,” stated Davide Faranda, a scientist at France’s National Centre for Scientific Research who worked on the analysis.
Climate change drives hotter, more frequent, and longer-lasting heat waves. The World Weather Attribution group’s findings suggest that globally, today’s heat waves are, on average, 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than in preindustrial times.
While experts often attribute heat-related deaths to worsened coronary or cardiac conditions, they believe extreme heat played a significant role in many of the 1,300 Haj fatalities. “The danger to a central religious activity should serve as a wake-up call,” commented Mohamed Adow, the nonprofit Power Shift Africa director. “As a major oil producer, Saudi Arabia must recognise the climate impact of their actions.”
Saudi Arabia is the world’s second-largest oil producer after the United States. Saudi Aramco, the state oil company, is the largest corporate emitter of greenhouse gases globally.
According to a database tracking emissions from significant carbon producers, Saudi Aramco contributes over 4% of the world’s historical carbon emissions. These findings highlight the urgent need for climate action to prevent future heatwave-related tragedies.