The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) in Jeddah will hold a workshop on "Climate Impact on this year's Hajj", which was called for by government and support agencies concerned with the Hajj season, with the aim of coordinating and raising readiness for planning and field work for this year's Hajj season.
The General Supervisor of Hajj Works at the Center, Dr. Turki Habiballah, explained that the holding of this workshop comes within the framework of the early preparations for the Hajj season, sensing the importance of exchanging climate information to support the operational, organizational and preventive plans of the entities working in the Hajj.
He pointed out that the workshop reviews the readiness of the center and its services for this year's Hajj and the most prominent climatic effects expected on Makkah, Madinah and the holy sites, and discusses solutions and procedures that ensure enhanced readiness and raise the efficiency of responding to climate risks, in a way that contributes to the safety of lives and property, and achieves the highest levels of safety and comfort for the pilgrims.
The workshop is a continuation of the Center's continuous coordination and integration with various entities over the past years, by providing accurate climate data and advanced numerical models that support decision-making and enable the concerned authorities to carry out their work with high efficiency, in light of the climate changes witnessed by the Kingdom and the region.
It is noteworthy that the National Center of Meteorology is working to develop its services provided in the holy sites, by expanding the monitoring network, increasing the number of stations and radars, and enhancing real-time analysis and weather forecasts, as part of its commitment under Article (Four) of the Meteorological Law, which obliges development and service projects to obtain the necessary climatic information before their implementation.