Water misting systems were being used near Arafat Mount in Saudi Arabia to relieve pilgrims from the soaring heat which has coincided with this year's Hajj pilgrimage. Around Al-Rahma (Mercy) hill, tall water-misting columns were spraying water on pilgrims who gathered at Mount Arafat as part of the Hajj rituals for day-long worship and reflection.
Saudi authorities expect the number of pilgrims this year to exceed two million, approaching pre-coronavirus pandemic levels. "We have to drink a lot of water, we have to stay in shades, do not try to go in the sunny weather and keep the umbrella," Aziz Khan, Pakistani pilgrim.
“We consume lot of cold water, and we stay in the shade,” said Noureddine Al-Rifai, a pilgrim from France with Tunisian roots Most of the pilgrims at Mount Arafat carried umbrellas, while others sat in the shadow of a few trees and buildings around Al-Rahma hill.
At Mina and the Grand Mosque, cooling stations on the roads leading to the mount and in its surrounding areas sprayed pilgrims with water to help combat the heat, which had already climbed to 47C (116.6 F) at Mount Arafat, according to Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Meteorology.
WATCH: Pilgrims commence the final rites of Hajj as Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha
