Temperatures Monday in Makkah and Madina regions reached 60 degrees Centigrade under the sun and 46 degrees in the shade in Madina and 45 degrees in the shade in Makkah — which are the highest temperatures in the regions since the beginning of Ramadan. The high temperatures are caused by southwesterly winds from arid regions and heat is trapped by the mountainous terrain, said Engineer Khaled Qassim, supervisor of the Analyses and Forecasts Center in the Presidency of Meteorology and the Environment. The PME's Regional Center for Aridity and Early Warning issued its forecast for weather conditions in Makkah and Madina regions during the holy month of Ramadan, but the information was not provided to the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, officials said. That organization, which is the authority concerned with Umrah pilgrims and visitors, is involved in organizing the circumambulation of the Holy Ka'bah and the people who sit in the Grand Mosque's courtyards. Officials in the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques have installed high-precision electronic sensors to monitor weather conditions so they can plan the use of air-conditioning, spreading carpets, organizing matters on roofs, operating shades over the Grand Mosque's courtyards and the movement of Umrah pilgrims and visitors.
