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When faith meets a melting point: New study warns Hajj pilgrimage is breaching human survivability limits
https://www.egu.eu/news/1739/when-faith-meets-a-melting-point-new-study-warns-hajj-pilgrimage-is-breaching-human-survivability-limits/7 May 2026
A new study warns that climate change is creating serious and growing risks for millions of pilgrims performing Hajj, with extreme heat and humidity already pushing human physiological limits during the 2024 pilgrimage. This research, led by Atta Ullah and his team from the Weather and Climate Services, Islamabad, Pakistan and Climate Analytics, Berlin, Germany respectively, suggests that, without urgent adaptation and global climate mitigation, the world’s largest religious gathering could become increasingly dangerous in the decades ahead.
The findings show that during several hours of the 2024 Hajj, heat stress conditions exceeded survivability thresholds even for young, healthy adults. The authors also state that in June 2024, the combined impact of heat and humidity created a period of approximately four consecutive hours during which prolonged outdoor exposure became potentially fatal without access to cooling or immediate relief. The danger is intensified during physically demanding rituals, when walking and movement can push the human body beyond safe limits even faster.
Our analysis shows that on June 17, 2024, the combined effect of heat and humidity breached the survivability threshold for even young, healthy adults for approximately four consecutive hours. During this period, the human body cannot maintain a safe core temperature through sweating alone, making unshaded outdoor exposure life-threatening. Says Atta Ullah.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and a mandatory pilgrimage for Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it at least once in their lifetime. Each year, millions of pilgrims travel to Makkah to carry out a five-day sequence of rituals that includes circling the Kaaba, walking between Safa and Marwa, standing in prayer at Mount Arafat, spending nights in Mina and Muzdalifah, and the stoning of the devil, known as Rami al-Jamarat. These rituals take place in hot outdoor conditions that are becoming increasingly difficult to endure as global temperatures rise.
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Ullah, A., Sadad, A., Saleh Khan, M., and Saeed, F.: When Faith Meets Heat: Climate Change Risks During the Hajj Pilgrimage, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-21325, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-21325, 2026.
A new study warns that climate change is creating serious and growing risks for millions of pilgrims performing Hajj, with extreme heat and humidity already pushing human physiological limits during the 2024 pilgrimage. This research, led by Atta Ullah and his team from the Weather and Climate Services, Islamabad, Pakistan and Climate Analytics, Berlin, Germany respectively, suggests that, without urgent adaptation and global climate mitigation, the world’s largest religious gathering could become increasingly dangerous in the decades ahead.
The findings show that during several hours of the 2024 Hajj, heat stress conditions exceeded survivability thresholds even for young, healthy adults. The authors also state that in June 2024, the combined impact of heat and humidity created a period of approximately four consecutive hours during which prolonged outdoor exposure became potentially fatal without access to cooling or immediate relief. The danger is intensified during physically demanding rituals, when walking and movement can push the human body beyond safe limits even faster.
Our analysis shows that on June 17, 2024, the combined effect of heat and humidity breached the survivability threshold for even young, healthy adults for approximately four consecutive hours. During this period, the human body cannot maintain a safe core temperature through sweating alone, making unshaded outdoor exposure life-threatening. Says Atta Ullah.
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam and a mandatory pilgrimage for Muslims who are physically and financially able to perform it at least once in their lifetime. Each year, millions of pilgrims travel to Makkah to carry out a five-day sequence of rituals that includes circling the Kaaba, walking between Safa and Marwa, standing in prayer at Mount Arafat, spending nights in Mina and Muzdalifah, and the stoning of the devil, known as Rami al-Jamarat. These rituals take place in hot outdoor conditions that are becoming increasingly difficult to endure as global temperatures rise.
…