JEDDAH: Security forces will get five days prior notice in case of any suspected severe weather developments during Haj, said officials of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) yesterday.
Addressing a press conference at the PME headquarters in Jeddah, Samir Bukhari, an assistant to the PME president, said the agency began operating weather forecast centers in the holy sites last week.
The PME has released an overall forecast for Haj, he said, adding that there was a very slim chance of heavy rains. “We are expecting light rain,” he said, “but it is too early to talk about heavy rain. Five days prior notice will be given in the event of certain cloud formations.”
The report added that pleasant temperatures are expected in the morning with temperatures dropping slightly in the evening, escalating to colder temperatures in the early morning hours at the holy sites. Average monthly rainfall for the months of November and December is 22 mm for each.
It is expected to be slightly windy with wind speeds averaging 6 kmph. The highest wind speeds recorded in the area at this time of year is 60 kmph, said the report. Visibility is expected to be good in general, though it may drop to less than 4 km due to blowing sand. Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 35 degrees Celsius and a low of 19. Humidity is expected to be as high as 92 percent in the evening and as low as 24 percent at midday. Madinah is expected to be slightly cooler and windier than Makkah and the holy sites with temperatures ranging from a high of 31 to a low of 14. Average wind speeds in Madinah are expected to be about 11 kmph with a slimmer chance of rain.
From 1985 to 2007, the highest temperature recorded in Makkah was 37 degrees on Dec. 9, 2005, and the lowest was 12.4 recorded in 1986. The heaviest rain in a 24-hour period in Makkah was 63 mm on Dec. 18, 1985. “We have two forecasters working in the Command and Control Center in the holy sites. Data is updated and gathered every hour using the most advanced technologies. Updated reports will be issued on a daily basis,” said Bukhari.
“Weather reports will be passed to all Tawafa organizations in order to keep them updated with all weather developments,” he added.
Forecast updates can be found on PME’s website www.PME.gov.sa.
