A report from a team of European scientists, released on Friday, revealed that the extreme heatwave in Saudi Arabia, which contributed to over 1,300 deaths during the 2024 Hajj, was exacerbated by human-induced climate change.

Between June 16 and 18, temperatures in Mecca reached 47°C, occasionally exceeding 51.8°C. An analysis by the Climameter Weather Platform indicated that, without human-caused climate change, temperatures would have been about 2.5°C lower.

Climameter conducts rapid assessments of climate change's role in specific weather events, as reported by CNN. Scientists used satellite observations over the past four decades to compare weather patterns from 1979 to 2001 with those from 2001 to 2023.

While dangerous temperatures have long been recorded in Saudi Arabia, the scientists found that natural variations alone could not explain the severity of this month's heatwave, with climate change making it more intense.

The assessment also noted similar temperature spikes in May and July, but June now experiences more severe heatwaves.

Davide Faranda, a climate scientist at the French National Center for Scientific Research who participated in the Climameter analysis, stated, "The deadly heat during this year's Hajj is directly linked to fossil fuel burning and impacted the most vulnerable pilgrims."

The researchers concluded that "the heatwave in Saudi Arabia is an extremely rare event, largely attributable to human-caused climate change."